Overloaded bus falls off bridge, 1 killed, 18 hurt

Police said the bus, driven by Saravanan (35) from Salem, was bound to Pollachi from Bengaluru when the mishap happened around 4 am near Kondalampatty. The bus crashed into the sidewall of Butterfly bridge and landed down, falling from a height of 30 feet. 

Dhanasekaran (42), a textile firm owner from Tirupur was crushed to death on the spot in the impact of the fall, while 18 others suffered serious injuries. The injured persons have been rushed to Salem government hospital and to private hospitals, while the body of the deceased has been sent for  post mortem.

The Salem District Collector Rohini Bhajibhakare and Salem City Police Commissioner K Shankar visited the scene and monitored rescue operations. Preliminary inquiries revealed that the bus was overloaded with about three tonnes of goods, loaded on its top, which resulted in it losing control on the bridge. The Annadanapatty police have registered a case and further inquiries are on.