Two women died and several passengers were injured after a KSRTC bus plunged into the Kaliyambuzha river after hitting a culvert at Thiruvambadi in Kozhikode here on Tuesday. The deceased are Thresiamma Mathew (75), a resident of Anakkampoyil, and Kamala (61), a resident of Velamkunnel. The bus turned turtle during the fall and efforts are underway to rescue passengers from the bus.
Some of the rescued passengers have been shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, a private hospital at Omaserry and another hospital at Mukkam. The accident happened around 1.40 pm.
The bus was headed to Thiruvambadi from Anakkampoyil when the accident happened. A rescued woman passenger said there were many travellers on the bus. She said that the bus hit a culvert and plunged into the river. "The bus was almost filled to its capacity. We don't know what exactly happened. It rammed into the side of a culvert, swerved and fell into the river," the woman said.
Lissy Abraham, a ward member in Thiruvambady town, said that efforts are being made to determine whether there are more passengers on the bus. "At present, the bus is being hauled back to the shore. We are not sure if any more people were on the bus. Many of the passengers have been shifted to hospital," said Lissy Abraham. The condition of three passengers is critical. One of the passengers who was seriously injured in the accident has been shifted from a private hospital to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.
Kerala Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar sought an immediate explanation from KSRTC chairman and Managing Director (MD) Pramoj Shankar regarding the incident. Kozhikode Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Nidhinraj P inspected the accident spot and stated that a joint probe, including Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) officials, will be conducted. Meanwhile, three passengers who sustained minor injuries have been discharged from the hospitals.