Passengers get scare of life as bus gets stuck in flooded causeway

COIMBATORE: More than 40 passengers of a TNSTC bus had a scary experience after their bus was stuck in a flooded causeway in Erode on Tuesday.

The bus was bound to Sathyamangalam through Talamalai from Thalavadi. “As the bus was maneuvering a causeway, a flash flood in the river led to sudden surge in flow. The bus then came to a grinding halt in the middle of the flooded causeway triggering tense moments among passengers,” said an official. The panicked passengers couldn’t alight due to heavy flow. It was after an hour that the water flow receded and the bus was operated towards safety.

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Salem district, heavy overnight rains claimed the lives of two elderly women as they were drowned during sleep in their inundated houses in separate incidents.

Police identified the deceased as Rukmani (78) from ‘Govinda Goundar Thottam’ and Palaniammal (80) from Saminathapuram in Salem. Both the women were living alone and their bodies have been sent to Salem Government Hospital for post-mortem by Pallapatti police. Residents blamed clogged canals.

Further, vehicle movement on the Yercaud Hill Road has been stopped due to multiple incidents of mud slips. Also, the NMR train services were suspended for the second consecutive day due to ongoing works to clear obstructions caused by mud slips along the track.