DHARMAPURI: 20 people were injured after a private college bus and a TNSTC bus collided near Nagavathi on Friday morning.
Perupalai police said, "On Monday morning, bus no 2B was transporting over a dozen people from Chinnampalli to Nallampalli. At the time, a private bus with over 20 students was headed from Nallampalli to Chinampalli. TNSTC bus driver Bharathiraja (28) lost control of the bus and collided with the private bus. Driver Palanivel (33) and 14 other students sustained injuries in the accident. 20 people, including the passengers on the TNSTC bus, were taken to the Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital."
Revenue officials blamed the narrow stretch for the accident. "The road between Nallampalli and Nagavathi via Elagiri is quite narrow and a large stretch of this road falls in the forest area. The narrow road was the cause of the accident," they said.
Following the accident, residents of Errapatti and Nagavathi staged a protest. "The narrow roads between Nallampalli and Nagavathi are used by hundreds on a daily basis, yet these roads are the cause behind multiple accidents. Efforts must be taken by the administration to widen the roads," the protesters said.
Dharmapuri MK A Mani visited the hospital and consoled the students injured in the accident.