Tamil Nadu: 4 dead, 35 injured in multi-vehicle crash involving KSRTC bus and two trucks

Ranipet (Tamil Nadu): Four people were killed and 35 others injured after a multi-vehicle collision involving a Karnataka State Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus and two trucks near the Ranipet SIPCOT Estate on the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway here in the wee hours of Thursday.

Police said the deceased have been identified as Manjunathan (30) and Sankaran (32), both the driver and cleaner of the Eicher truck that was ferrying fruits and vegetables from Andhra Pradesh to Chennai.

The two others were Krishnappa (65) and Somasekharan (31), both travelling in the KSRTC bus.

Thirty-five passengers of the bus, who were injured in the accident, were rushed to Government Headquarters Hospital at Walajapet and private hospitals here for treatment.

The condition of three persons was stated to be critical.

The KSRTC bus was returning to Kolar in Karnataka after a pilgrimage to Sri Aadhiparasakthi Temple at Melmaruvathur.

The accident occurred when the KSRTC bus driver attempted to overtake a tipper truck laden with M-sand and collided head-on with the Eicher truck coming in the opposite direction.

The tipper truck coming behind lost its control and crashed into the bus.

Ranipet Superintendent of Police Vivekananda Shukla rushed to the accident site and supervised the rescue operation.

The SIPCOT police have registered a case and are investigating.