Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, May 25: In an accident that occurred near Karikalkatte in Thekkatte in the taluk on the night of Sunday May 24, a teenager died on the spot while over 20 passengers were injured.

A KSRTC bus going to Jamakhandi and a private bus from Kerala, going from Murdeshwar to a Kerala destination, were involved in the accident. The KSRTC bus bore the brunt of the damage, having been mangled and a portion of its body having been separated from the main frame.  The identity of the 17-year-old boy, who died, could not be established. Four persons including a boy were admitted into Manipal Hospital, over 12 were treated in a private hospital in Kerala while some more were treated in a local hospital.

It is learnt, the driver of the KSRTC bus, whose sight was blurred because of torrential rain in the region, could not gauge the existence of a huge tree by the roadside till the bus came very near to it. In a flash, he swerved the bus to the right, hitting the private bus. It may be recalled that several publications in the past had carried stories about the dangers posed by this tree standing adjacent to the national highway 17 and the locals had demanded for its removal.

Traffic on the road was disrupted due to the accident for over two hours. The policemen came on the scene and with the help of locals, removed the buses and paved way for the traffic to resume.