Sunil Haleangady
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Feb 19: Twenty passengers sustained injuries in a head-on collision between a service bus and tourist bus near Kateel here on Thursday February 19.

The accident took place when the private bus plying from Balavinagudde to Mangaluru via Kateel rammed into the tourist bus while taking a turn near Kateel church.

There were about 15 passengers in the tourist bus, all of them from Shira of Tumakuru district.

It is learnt that the tourists are members of Thimmappa Swamy Sangha, and had been on a tour to Sigandur, Udupi and other places and on Thursday, were on their way to Dharmasthala after visiting Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple.

Locals said that the dangerous turns on this stretch of road was to blame for the accident. Despite best efforts by the bus driver to avoid the collision, he failed, they said.

Several passengers in the service bus including school and college students sustained injuries.

The injured have been identified as bus driver Manjunath, Dinesh, Indira, Renuka, Kokila, Supriya, Mamatha, Vinitha, Jyothi, Soumya, Jyoti, Jampakka, Kaveramma, Gangadhar, Rajanna, Divya, Thimakka, Yashodhamma, Harish and Shankravva.