KSRTC bus, truck gutted after collision; 11 injured

KOLLAM/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two heavy vehicles, a KSRTC fast passenger and a concrete mixer truck, were completely gutted in a fire after they collided on MC Road at Vayakkal in Kollam district on Saturday. The drivers of both vehicles suffered serious burn injuries in the accident occurred at 2.45pm.
Nine others, including the bus conductor, survived the accident with less serious injuries.Prakash, 50, of Karette is the driver of the KSRTC bus. He has been admitted to the Burn ICU of Medical College Hospital here. Conductor, A Sajim, 41, of Pallickal has also been admitted to MCH with injuries.
Sources said the KSRTC bus belonged to Kilimanoor depot while the concrete mixer truck was owned by a private construction company. The bus was travelling from Kottarakkara to Thiruvananthapuram. When it reached Vayakkal near Valakom, it collided with the truck that was exiting a crusher unit functioning beside the road, after filling its drum with gravel. Witnesses said that it was the carelessness of the truck driver that resulted in the accident.
“The bus rammed the driver’s cabin of the truck. In the impact of the collision, the diesel tank of the concrete mixer, located in front of the vehicle, burst. The diesel then flowed over the vehicle’s silencer, which was already burning hot, leading to the blaze” said J Sureshkumar, station officer, Kadakkal fire station.
The officer said that the driver’s cabins of both vehicles got entangled in the collision. The diesel from the leaked tank reached the KSRTC bus, spreading the fire to the bus too.
“It was a bus with driver-operated pneumatic doors. The bus driver, Prakash, showed great presence of mind in opening the doors as soon as the collision happened, allowing the passengers to exit. He was the last one to exit the bus and hence ended up sustaining burn injuries,” the fire station officer said, adding that his action helped avert great tragedy. KSRTC authorities said that there were 18 passengers on the bus.