Salem: In a horrifying road disaster that saw two buses collide head-on in Salem district in the wee hours of Saturday, seven persons, four of them from one Kerala family were killed on the spot and over 30 persons injured. Police said one of the buses involved in the accident at Mamangam near here, was bound for Krishnagiri from Salem, while the other one coming from the opposite direction was a luxury coach from Bengaluru proceeding towards Kerala.
It was a pathetic site on Bengaluru-Salem National highway, as the Krishnagiri-bound private bus had initially smashed a mini-van carrying flowers that was parked on one side of the road, ran through the centre median and crashed into the omnibus from Bengaluru coming on the opposite lane, causing the latter to turn turtle. At least seven persons in the luxury coach were killed on the spot.
Even as the Salem-Krishnagiri bus had been almost fully destroyed under the impact of the multiple crashes, passengers trapped in both buses screamed aloud, prompting staff of a nearby petrol pump and people from nearby villages to rush to the spot in the dark of night and began to retrieve the injured.
Police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel who also rushed to the spot on information, pulled out at least seven bodies from the mangled remains of the Kerala-bound luxury coach. The deceased travelers, all from the latter coach, included: J. M. Jacob (58), Sanu V Cherian (28), C G. Vincent (35), his wife Tinu Joseph (32), her father George Joseph (60), and mother Alphonsa (55).
At least 30 other passengers from both the buses including the two bus drivers’ who were critically injured, were rushed to various private hospitals in Salem, besides the Mohan Kumaramangalam government hospital in Salem town. The Chief Minister, Mr. Edappadi K Palaniswami and district collector, Ms Rohini Bhajubhakare, besides other top officials including the police, visited the injured at the government hospital. Mr. Palaniswami directed the doctors to give the best possible treatment to the injured persons.
People near the accident site said the mishap occurred around 1: 30 am and the passengers were in deep sleep when they were awakened by a loud thud. As the omni bus turned turtle, passengers trapped inside cried aloud for help, they said.
Police and official sources, citing findings of initial investigations, said the driver of the Krishnagiri-bound bus from Salem had dozed off, leading to the multiple crashes. Initially, the mini-van got hit, followed by the bus going over the road divider and crashing head-on with the Kerala-bound omnibus from Bengaluru. The seventh deceased is yet to be identified. The Sooramangalam police are investigating.
