Five youths killed, several injured as overloaded bus topples in Karnataka

The deceased have been identified as Kalyan (19) of YN Hosakote, Amulya (16) of Potaganahalli, Ajith (27) of Shoolanayakanahalli, Dadavali (19) of Neelammanahalli, and Shahnawaz (20) of Bestarahalli in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. All but Dadavali, who died on the way to hospital, were killed on the spot.

As the bus heading towards Pavagada reached near the Palavalli village tank, past Veerammanahalli, around 9 am, its driver lost control over the bus and it toppled. Many passengers got stuck under the bus as it fell on them, and there were students who were travelling on the footboards, said a police official.

“The bus was overloaded and there were many sitting on top of the bus. The driver was driving at a high speed and he lost control while negotiating the curve, leading to the accident,” said Yashwanth M, a passenger who was shifted to the Pavagada government hospital. He is a nursing student.

About 26 persons have been admitted to various hospitals. The police said some had been admitted to hospitals in Pavagada town, Tumakuru NIMHANS, Indira Gandhi Hospital and the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Bengaluru.

Both the driver and the conductor managed to flee. Local residents attributed the accident to the lack of enough bus services, especially for school and college students during peak hours.

Deputy commissioner YS Patil and superintendent of police Rahul Kumar Shahapurwad visited the spot.

Transport Minister B Sriramulu announced an inquiry into the road accident and promised compensation for its victims. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai gave instructions to check fitness certificates and other aspects of private transport vehicles.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu offered condolences. “Deeply anguished to hear about the loss of lives in a bus accident in Tumkur, Karnataka. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he tweeted.