Palakkad: The tourist bus that met with an accident at Vadakkencherry in Palakkad late Wednesday was speeding right from the beginning of the journey, said Abel Philip Paul, who survived the fatal crash.

"The speed of the bus was above 80 km/h right from the beginning. When we enquired about the same, an employee of the tourist bus said that the driver was experienced and that speed was not an issue," Abel Philip Paul, a student told Manorama News.

The GPS data also confirmed that the tourist bus was travelling at a speed of 97.7 kmph at the time of the accident.

The tourist bus was carrying students from Baselious School in Ernakulam's Mulanthuruthy. They were on an excursion to Ootty in Tamil Nadu. 

Nine people, including students and KSRTC passengers, were killed in the mishap. Twelve are critically injured and 28 others sustained minor injuries in the accident. 

Meanwhile, the KSRTC driver Sumesh also said the tourist bus was speeding. "When the tourist bus crashed (into the bus he was driving), the impact was so sudden that it whirred out of control. I managed to steady the bus with great effort," he said.

“The tourist bus driver was tired as he came to the school after a trip to Velankanni,” a parent told Manorama News.

The tourist bus lost control and crashed behind a KSRTC bus while overtaking a car. The tourist bus overturned and fell into a nearby swamp. 

The accident took place near the Anjumoorthy Mangalam bus stop on Walayar-Vadakkancherry national highway.

Students from classes 10, 11 and 12 of Baselious School were on a leisure trip to Ootty when they met with the accident. The tourist bus carried 41 students, five teachers and two employees of the bus. There were 49 passengers on the KSRTC bus. The KSRTC bus was en route to Coimbatore from Kottarakkara.