Karnataka, May 31: A bus carrying labourers and their families plunged from a bridge after hitting a concrete block and burst into flames at Challakere in Karnataka, 200 km north of Bangalore, early on Sunday.
The horrific accident charred to death 20 unemployed daily wage- earners and 10 of their children. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus, on its way from Shorapur to Bangalore, had 64 passengers on board. As many as 28 were injured in the accident.
All the victims were from Shorapur, one of the most backward regions in the newly- formed Yadgir district of north Karnataka. The labourers were on their way to the state capital in search of work.
Two drivers had been deployed for the journey. “ Around 10 pm, the younger driver, Siddaiah Hiremath, took the wheel. Prima facie, it appears the accident was because of his negligence. We have launched a probe,” state transport minister R. Ashoka said.
According to the Challakere police, the accident took place around quarter past three when the bus driver failed to negotiate a curve on a tank bund and hit a cement block on a small bridge.
“ The vehicle rolled over a couple of times before resting on the tank bed. The diesel tank burst into flames on impact and a major portion of the bus was gutted,” the police said. Most victims died in their sleep.
Both the drivers — Hiremath and Shetty — survived. Hiremath claimed the accident took place when he swerved to avoid a speeding truck coming from the opposite direction.
Nijappa, a survivor who lost his wife and daughter in the accident said that most of them lived in villages near Shorapur. “ Because of the poor rains, agricultural activities have stopped and we couldn’t find work in our district. A building contractor in Bangalore had agreed to hire us.” The bodies of nine victims were charred beyond recognition.
The state government plans to approach the Hyderabad- based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics to identify the passengers.
The state has announced a compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh to the next of kin of each victim.
The Yadgir district administration said it would employ the victims’ kin and those who were injured under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
—Agencies