Driver on phone, govt bus falls into gorge near Attur

COIMBATORE: A TNSTC bus with four passengers fell into a 15-foot-deep gorge as the driver was talking over the phone while driving on the Ghat road near Attur in Salem on Wednesday.

Police said driver Selvaraj (55), from Anaiyampatti Pudur village in Gangavalli, and four passengers Jayalakshmi (50), Dharmar (50), and two children Kavi Priya (9), and Rajeswari (7), suffered injuries in the impact of the fall.

Police said the bus from Attur bus stand was bound for Thalavaipatti when the mishap happened at around 8.40 am. When the driver then received a call, he brought the bus to a halt along the curve of the Ghat stretch and began to talk over the phone.

Unexpectedly, the bus started to move on its reverse, and attempts by the driver to stop while talking over the phone turned futile. The bus fell upside down in a 15-foot-deep gorge, police said.

The shocked villagers immediately informed the Attur Rural Police who rushed to the spot and rescued the four passengers and driver from the mangled bus. Police said conductor Ramalingam (48) escaped without injuries.

The injured were then taken to Attur GH. Senior transport department officials inspected the spot and suspended the driver for negligence. The Attur Rural police have registered a case and further inquiries are on.