Coonoor bus mishap: Loss of lives deeply distressing, says President

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said the loss of lives in the bus accident in The Nilgiris district was deeply distressing and extended her deepest condolences to the bereaved families. She also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

A Tenkasi-bound tourist bus fell into a gorge after the driver lost control of the vehicle, killing eight people on Saturday. The toll went up to nine with the death of another woman on Sunday.

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“The loss of lives in a tragic bus accident in Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu is deeply distressing. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Murmu said in a post on X.

Kadayam plunges into grief

As most of the victims in the tragic accident, which occurred in Coonoor in The Nilgiris were from Kadayam in Tenkasi district, a pall of gloom descended there.

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The tragedy has caused great grief among the local community in Kadayam over the loss of nine lives. A relative of the accident victim said on Sunday that the private tourist bus carried a total of 57 passengers, who left Kadayam on Thursday on a three-day tour and were about to return on Monday morning.

Tenkasi Collector Durai Ravichandran in a statement said people, who want to get details about the accident victims, could dial emergency helpline numbers –‘04633 290548’ and ‘1077.’