A passenger bus from Karnataka carrying almost 65 people crashed on top of a house in Pannathoor at Kasargod. While seven people died, including two children, officials have informed us that some are in critical condition.
Official reports say that the deceased are Rajesh (45), Ravichandra (40), Jayalakshmi (39), Shreyas (13), Adarsh (14), and Shashi. The latter died in a private hospital in Mangalore, while five bodies are at Poodamkallu Taluk hospital and one at Kanjangad District hospital. The latter is also host to treating around 33 injured people, while 11 serious cases have been transferred between Pariyaram Medical College and hospitals in Mangalore.
The accident occurred at around noon when the private bus carrying a wedding party from Sullia in Karnataka to Pannathoor. The bus lost control at a steep decline and rolled over as the vehicle was travelling very fast. According to official sources, the 50-seater bus was carrying around 65 people and one of the passengers blamed the bus driver for the accident. A few reports also indicate that the brakes might not have been working.
The District Collector and police sources have also confirmed that there were almost 70 people on the bus. However, they also added that the fact there were no nearby hospitals severely affected rescue operations, and the severely injured had to be moved further away to hospitals in Mangalore, as there were no adequate facilities nearby. Moreover, patients brought to health centres and Taluk hospitals are being shifted to medical colleges and other better facilities depending on their conditions.
