At least 19 people, including five women, were killed in a horrific bus accident in Avanashi town in Tirupur district, 40 km from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu early on Thursday morning i.e. February 20, 2020. The accident took place when a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus collided with a container truck, fatally wounding many passengers.
19 dead in road accident as Kerala-bound bus rams into truck
According to the police, the bus was going to Thiruvananthapuram from Bengaluru, while the lorry was coming from the opposite direction on the Coimbatore-Salem Highway when the mishap occurred at 4.30 am.
The preliminary reports revealed that the lorry, which was coming from the opposite direction, lost control while trying to overtake and rammed into the 48-seater bus. Of the 48 passengers in the bus, 19 died on the spot and remaining sustained injuries.
Deputy Tehsildar of Avinashi said, “19 people, including 14 men and 5 women, died in the collision between a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus and a truck near Avinashi town of Tirupur district.”
Most of the deceased were from Kerala, including Thrissur, Palakkad and Ernakulam districts. The bus left Bengaluru at 8 pm on Wednesday and was supposed to reach Ernakulam at 7 am on Thursday.
Rescue operations are ongoing and transport minister AK Saseendran said that the injured passengers had been rushed to the hospital. Also, the senior officials from Kerala State Road Transport Corporation have rushed to the site and the KSRTC Managing Director will conduct an inquiry and submit a report.
Expressing his condolence, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan directed Palakkad district collector to provide all assistance and medical care to the injured and make arrangements to bring the bodies of the deceased. Procedures to identify the deceased are in progress.
In a statement, the chief minister said that the State Transport Minister AK Saseendran and Minister VS Sunil Kumar will be reaching Tirupur to provide all the assistance and coordinate proceedings.
