Twenty-six passengers were injured when a Kerala State Transport Corporation bus smashed through the parapet wall of the road near Mangalam Bypass on the Coimbatore-Salem highway in the small hours of Sunday.
According to the Avinashi police, Jaison, the driver of the bus that was on its way from Pathanamthitta to Bengaluru, lost control of the vehicle allegedly because he fell asleep behind the wheels.
The vehicle veered towards the flyover parapet, smashed through it and was hanging precariously.
Local people’s help
In the impact, all the 26 passengers, including two children - Krishnanda (4) and Akshaya (7) – sustained injuries and were rushed to various hospitals in Tiruppur and Coimbatore after first aid at the Government Hospital, Avinashi.
The police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel rescued the driver, who sustained a fracture on his leg. They also took the help of the people living the vicinity to help the passengers come out of the vehicle.
The police said they were checking if the driver was under the influence of alcohol.
