Karnataka: 30 Passengers Killed In A Bus Accident In Pandavapura Taluk Of Mandya District

At least 30 passengers in Karnataka were killed when the private bus they were travelling in plunged into VC Canal near Kanaganamaradi in Pandavapura taluk around noon on Saturday (24 November), Times of India has reported.

The private bus was on its way to Mandya from Pandavapura via Kanaganamaradi when the horrific accident took place.

Only two passengers, Girish, a carpenter, and Rohith, a class VII student, have survived the accident while all other passengers died. Girish managed to break open the window and also rescued Rohith.

There were about 35 passengers in the bus, most of them youths and children who were returning from schools and colleges.

The local people, who noticed the bus plunging into the canal, dived into the canal, which had 12 ft deep water and attempted to rescue the passengers.

The canal had no railings and the bus plunged into it after the driver lost control. According to local reports, the driver lost the control over the vehicle due to a technical glitch as the steering wheel of the vehicle got locked.

Pandavapura Police rushed to the spot and divers were pressed into service. All the bodies were shifted to Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences Mortuary for post-mortem.

Thr state Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the family members of the deceased. District in-charge Minister C S Putaraju, Transport Minister D C Thamanna rushed to the spot to supervise the relief operations.

Besides rash driving, the villagers blamed the decrepit condition of the road and the bus for the tragic accident. The villagers said that the bus was very old and not in a good condition. The villagers largely depend on private buses to travel in the region.