41 hurt as private bus hits truck, overturns

Idukki: Forty-one passengers were injured after a private bus overturned after ramming the rear of a truck near Karimanal, near Neriamangalam, on Thursday afternoon.The bus toppled into the Neriamangalam forest stretch, triggering panic among passengers. The accident occurred at Odit near Karimanal amid heavy rain in the area. The ill-fated bus named ‘Cochin' operated on the Ernakulam-Kattappana route. Police personnel, who arrived immediately behind the accident, led the rescue operations. The team included Idukki intelligence DSP R Santhosh Kumar, inspector Philip Sam, SI Unnikrishnan, senior CPOs Akhil Vinayak and Sreejith. With the help of tourists travelling in other vehicles, rescuers broke open the bus windows and evacuated the trapped passengers.A police team, led by Udumbanchola SHO, also reached the spot quickly and joined the rescue efforts.All injured passengers were immediately shifted to nearby hospitals.