Three persons were killed and several others injured in a collision between a bus and a lorry transporting cars at Kurubarahalli in Nangli police station limits on National Highway 4, near Mulbagal in Kolar district, early on Saturday. Both the vehicles caught fire under the impact. Fortunately, the passengers were able to get out of the bus before the fire spread and a major tragedy was averted.
The Garuda (Volvo) bus belonging to the Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation was bound for Bangalore from Tirupati and the lorry was on its say from Chittoor to Bangalore, and the collision occurred around 1 a.m.
Superintendent of Police Ram Nivas Sepat gave the names of the dead as Padmapriya (23), bus passenger, and Srinivas (24), the bus driver’s assistant. The third victim was in the lorry and he is yet to be identified.
The bodies of all the three were charred.
The accident occurred when the lorry swerved into the path of the bus.
Presence of mind
The presence of mind of bus driver Subramani saved the lives of his passengers. Mr. Subramani jumped out of the bus soon after the accident and smashed window panes, opened the door and helped passengers get out.
The injured have been admitted to the government hospital at Mulbagal and the R.L. Jalappa Hospital in Kolar.
According to the police, rash and reckless driving by the lorry driver caused the accident.
Traffic was affected on NH 4 for some time.
According to sources, the injured include two residents of Bangalore Venkatesh, 38, and Menon, 54, besides Vamshi Krishna, 28, a resident of Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. All three were treated at a hospital for before they were discharged. Twenty others, who had suffered injuries, were also treated and discharged.
