7 die as bus falls into gorge near Ooty

The bus, with about 38 passengers including the crew, was bound for Coonoor from Ooty when the incident happened around 11.30 am, according to the police.

Driver Raj Kumar (38) of Maniatty took a sharp right turn while trying to avoid a water-filled pothole on reaching Manthada. Unfortunately, he lost control and the bus rolled down the 150-ft deep gorge and landed in a farmland. “Some passengers were thrown out as the vehicle fell down the hill. Some were trapped and severely injured in the ill-fated bus which was damaged beyond repair,” said a policeman.

A group of youngsters, who noticed the incident, got down the risky slopes to rescue the injured passengers. Soon, Fire and Rescue personnel from Ooty joined the operation amid rain.

The seven persons who succumbed to injuries in the mishap were identified as Shanthakumari, 55, Dharman, 64, Dinesh, 32, Nandakumar, 36, Prabhakaran, 50, Jaishree, 49, and Almesh, 28, all from different parts of Ooty and Coonoor.

On receiving information about the mishap, Nilgiris Superintendent of Police Shanmugapriya and Collector Innocent Divya reached the spot and supervised the rescue operations.

Eleven injured people, including the driver, were sent to the Ooty Government Hospital in ambulances, while around 19 people, including conductor Prakash (42) of Karuthukuzhi in Ooty were taken to the Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital.

The vehicle was earlier operated between Thangadu and Oranalli.

As it had a faulty brake system, it was serviced at the Ooty depot only on Wednesday. The bus resumed service on the new route but it ended in tragedy as the crew was yet to get used to the vehicle, the police said. They also blamed the slippery and pothole-riddled road for the mishap, even as it was raining. Traffic from Coonoor to Ooty was diverted through Kotagiri to make way for ambulances involved in the rescue operation.

The Ketti police launched an investigation into the accident.

Tiruchy: Four persons, including a retired Assistant Director (Panchayats), died when their car rammed a tree along the road, in Karur on Thursday. BM Selvaraj (60), a retired AD (Panchayats) and a resident of Vanchinathan Nagar near Thanthondrimalai, had visited his relative’s house at Chinna Dharapuram along with his two wives Jayalakshmi (55) and Subbulakshmi (50). Muniandi (65), a retired driver for the Karur DRDA, was driving the car in which they were travelling. When the car was nearing the Dharapuram road around 3 pm, Muniandi lost control of the vehicle and it hit a tamarind tree in which Selvaraj, Jayalakshmi and Subbulakshmi as well as Muniandi were crushed to death. The Aravakurichi police registered a case.