Pramesh S Jain
Four people were killed and several others injured in a tragic road accident on the Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway in Karnataka’s Ramanagara district during the early hours of Monday.
The accident occurred around 4:30 am near Puttappanadoddi in Sankalagere village of Channapatna taluk when a private bus belonging to Kerala-based P.K. Travels,en route from Kozhikode to Bengaluru,lost control and rammed into the highway divider fencing.
Senior officers told reporters that the impact of the crash was severe,leaving the bus badly mangled.Two passengers died on the spot,while two others succumbed to injuries later at a hospital.
The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Farhan (22) and Sulfi Rafeez (45),both from Kozhikode, Kerala;Rasheed (45) from Kalasipalya, Bengaluru; and Sakir (27) from Anepalya, Adugodi.
Two injured passengers—Abdul and Alain from Kannur, Kerala—are currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the bus,carrying 43 people including 36 passengers and seven staff members,was travelling at high speed when the driver allegedly dozed off.
The vehicle veered to the left and crashed into the roadside fencing, dragging along it for nearly 100 metres.
Metal rods from the fence pierced through the left side of the bus, fatally injuring passengers seated there.
The driver, Riyaz,initially claimed he swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle.However,CCTV footage reviewed by the police suggests that he may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
“The driver stated he was trying to avoid another vehicle, but evidence indicates negligence due to drowsy driving,”a senior traffic police officer said.
The Channapatna Traffic Police have arrested the driver and registered a case of negligent driving.
Senior police officials,including Superintendent of Police R.Srinivas Gowda and other officers,visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
The bodies have been shifted to the Channapatna Government Hospital for post-mortem,and will be handed over to the families after completion of formalities.
