PALAKKAD: Nine persons including 5 students died after a tourist bus on a school tour from Mulanthuruthy in Ernakulam hit a KSRTC bus at Vadakkancherry in Palakkad in the early hours of Thursday.
The other victims included a school teacher and three passengers of the KSRTC bus.
12 persons who were seriously injured were admitted to the Government Medical College, Thrissur.
The tourist bus was taking 41 students of Baselios Vidyanikethan Senior Secondary School, Mulanthuruthy on a school trip to Ooty. The tourist bus hit the Kottarakkara-Coimbatore superfast bus from behind at Vadakkancherry after midnight Wednesday.
Initial reports indicate that the tourist bus was overspeeding before the driver lost control and crashed into the KSRTC bus from behind.
Transport Minister Antony Raju blamed the driver of the tourist bus for the tragedy.
The deceased were identified as Vishnu V K (33), Anjana Ajith (17), Immanuel C S(17), Chris Vinter Born Thomas (15), Diya Rajesh (15) and Elna Jose (15).
The deceased KSRTC passengers were identified as Rohith Raj (24), O.Anoop (22) and Deepu (25) from Thrissur.
The driver of the tourist bus, Jomon, who went missing from the spot surrendered at the police station in Vadakkencherry, Palakkad. He said that in the impact of the crash, he was thrown off the bus and fell outside. He was later admitted to a hospital as he was injured.