KOCHI: Sreelakshmi Menon was elated as she boarded the KSRTC bus from Madiwala to Thrissur. She had taken an extended leave for Mahasivrathri and planned to have a relaxed weekend at her home at Puranattukara in Thrissur.
“I was having sound sleep when I felt a massive jolt. I still don’t know whether I had woken up from sleep or regained consciousness then,” said the 25-year-old who works in Flipkart in Bengaluru.
“It was 3.40 am when I could get out of the bus. One of the travellers was thrown off the bus. Some others who got out from the bus were sitting on the roadside. Luckily, I had only minor bruises on my head,” she added. Sreelakshmi sat on seat number 48 on the left side of the bus. She said more than a frightening experience, what she saw after the collision was people’ state of helplessness.
“Being dark, I didn’t know what was happening after the collision. People were in different places. Many were crying out for help. Later, I learnt that many were taken out of the bus after breaking the side windows.” Soon after getting out, she and three others were taken to Revathi Medical Centre, Tirupur. She was administered first aid as she had minor injuries and the X-ray report showed no signs of major issues.
“The others were attended well as they were bleeding. Hospital authorities told me around 4.30 am that I could leave.”Fortunately, her friend is staying near and her father picked Sreelakshmi up from the hospital.
Sreelakshmi contacted her parents and her father reached the place by 10.30 am to pick her up.