Stephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod

Kasargod, Aug 5: Fifteen persons sustained injuries when a private bus collided with a truck on the national highway near Thekkil here on Wednesday August 5.

The private bus was plying from Kasargod to Kanhangad while the container truck was moving towards Kasargod.

Sources said that the accident took place as the bus was moving at a high speed.

Some of the injured have been identified as Jamila (44) of Chattanchal, her husband Ibrahim (51), her sister Mariambi (38), bus driver Narayana (45) of Neerchal, cleaner Achyuta (51), Shahima (22) of Chattanchal, Ibrahim (55) of Bevinje, Savitri (40) of Kasargod, Hussain (48) of Kotikulam, Ahmed (52) of Nayarmoole, Abdulla (40) and Abdul Rahiman (45). Among them, Jamila's conditon is said to be serious and she has been admitted to a hospital in Mangaluru.

The front portion of the bus was badly damaged. The locals and the police who rushed to the spot as soon as the accident took place shifted the injured to different hospitals in Mangaluru and Kasargod.

Following the accident, the Kasargod-Kanhangad national highway was completely choked for nearly two hours.

Locals said that competition between bus drivers and their recklessness has resulted in several accidents on the highway. In the last ten days alone, three people have died and several injured in accidents involving private buses. A woman died after a speeding bus rammed into her near the new bus stand in Kasargod, while in Manjeshwar, two persons died a few days ago after a private bus hit their scooter.