Alappuzha youth dies after falling off bike, run over by bus

Alappuzha: A 26-year-old met with a tragic end after he fell off his bike and was run over by a KSRTC bus near Kanjirathinkal Temple at Erumalloor in Aroor around 7 pm on Saturday. The deceased is Akhil, son of Sindhu and Ajikuttan, of Mayithara, Cherthala.

Akhil was returning from work in Aroor and the Fast Passenger bus was plying from Ernakulam to Thenkasi when the incident happened. Akhil is survived by his brother Nikhil, besides his parents.

Last Monday, A 40-year-old woman met with a tragic end when the scooter she was riding lost balance and fell underneath another vehicle on the Aroor National Highway. The deceased is Lisa (Kochuthresia), wife of Linson, of Kodam Thuruthhu, Aroor. That accident had occurred at Pattukulangara in Kuthiyathode.

The 12.76 km Aroor - Thuravoor stretch of National Highway 66, where construction of India's longest elevated highway is currently underway, is considered a deathtrap for motorists and pedestrians alike. According to Jagratha Samithi, a committee formed by people in the area, over 22 lives have been lost to accidents on the stretch since construction began in April 2023.

People in the area allege a lack of preparatory measures by the National Highway Authority of India resulted in improperly tarred sections with slopes and potholes posing a danger to two-wheeler riders, often causing them to go off-balance and sometimes even ending in fatal falls.