Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Sep 10: An empty gas tanker coming to Mangaluru for carrying tankful of LPG back to Bengaluru went out of the control of its driver and fell into the roadside gorge next to Kolpe bridge near Golithottu in the taluk on Friday September 9.

The tanker was trying to negotiate a steep road bend immediately following the narrow bridge at Kolpe, when the cabin of the tanker suddenly took a U-turn. It s said that the accident occurred as the vehicle was moving at considerable speed.

Driver of the vehicle, Madesh, and cleaner, Kamaraj, survived with minor injuries. Many locals expressed resentment at the failure of the authorities to provide speed breakers in spite of repeated demands in the area, which are felt necessary because of the steep road bend.

The stretch between Kolpe and Golithottu has been known to be an accident-prone zone. A bridge of the British era stands here and a steep road bend is located very close to the bridge. In the recent past, a bus coming from Bengaluru had met with accident here, causing the death of a woman. Later, a woman had been crushed under the wheels of a truck on this bridge.