Pics: Raghavendra Kundapura

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (JD)

Kundapur, Oct 25: More than 26 passengers were injured, three of them critically, when two private buses collided head-on near Arate Bridge in Byndoor taluk of Udupi district on Sunday morning, October 25.

The accident occurred at around 7 am when a Ganesh private bus travelling from Bhatkal towards Mangaluru collided with a Durgamba bus heading from Kundapur towards Sagara.

Passengers on both buses sustained injuries in the collision, raising concern among local residents.

Following the accident, the injured were immediately shifted to hospitals with the assistance of local residents, social worker and rescuer Ibrahim Gangolli, and a team led by ambulance driver Abrahara.

Of the injured, 23 passengers were admitted to government and private hospitals in Kundapur, while three seriously injured passengers were shifted to Kasturba Medical College (KMC) Hospital in Manipal for advanced treatment.

A case has been registered at the Kundapur Traffic police station, and further investigation is under way. The exact cause of the accident is yet to be established.

Meanwhile, the accident has raised fresh concerns about road safety measures in the area. Questions have been raised about the possible lack of adequate warning signboards for motorists and whether the concerned departments and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) have implemented sufficient safety measures to prevent such accidents.

Residents have urged the authorities to inspect highway safety arrangements and take the necessary corrective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.