Six passengers, including two students, were killed and 49 others injured when an overcrowded private bus heading towards Pavagada from Y.N. Hosakote toppled on Saturday morning. All the deceased were between 18 and 22 years old. Among the injured, eight are critical.
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The bus driver was reportedly speeding and lost control of the wheel while negotiating a curve at Palavalli Katte near Pavagada in Tumakuru district around 8.45 a.m.
Packed beyond capacity
According to eye-witness accounts, about 120 passengers, mainly students and people travelling to work, were on board the bus, but the police have yet to verify this. People were hanging out of the doors, clinging on to the ladder at the back, and sitting on the roof of the bus. “When the bus overturned, they came under the wheels or were crushed while others were flung into the thorny bushes along the road,” said an eye witness. Hundreds of villagers rushed to the spot and helped in the rescue operation.
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They deceased have been identified as Amulya, 20, a first year PU commerce student at Government Junior College, Pavagada; Ajith Kumar, 22, bank employee; Kalyan Kumar B., 22, computer operator; Shanavaz, 20, mechanic; and Dada Vali, 18, commerce student at SSK College, Pavagada. Amulya’s sister, Harshitha, died at Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru taking the death toll to six.
Three among the deceased youth were sitting on the roof of the bus, while two others were clinging to the door when it toppled. “Eight of the critically injured have been shifted to various hospitals in Bengaluru while the rest are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Pavagada and Tumakuru,” the police said. Many of them sustained multiple fracture injuries,” said the police.
Transport Minister B. Sriramulu announced that the State Government would give compensation of ₹5 lakh each to the deceased and he would personally pay ₹1 lakh to each of the victims’ families and ₹50,000 each to the injured.
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According to the police, rash and negligent driving led to the accident. “The driver was speeding even while negotiating the curve in the hope that he could do another trip to make extra money,” said a police officer. He added that there were two more private buses scheduled to ply the same route but they were cancelled. “This led to overcrowding in the bus.”
Manhunt for driver, conductor
Soon after the accident, a passenger alerted his relatives who lived in a nearby village. They in turn alerted the police. However, by the time the police arrived at the scene, the driver and conductor had fled. The police have launched a manhunt for them.
The driver and owner of the bus have been charged under Sections 279 (rash and negligent driving), 307, (attempt to murder), and 304A (death due to negligence) of Indian Penal Code and also under various sections of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act. No arrests have been made so far.
Many villagers protested and blamed the government for not providing KSRTC services. They also vented their ire at the police and the transport authority for not cracking down on overcrowding in private buses.
Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, who is also the district in-charge Minister, ordered a detailed probe into the incident.