CHENNAI: Five people were killed and 42 others, including children, were injured after a private omni bus lost control and crashed into a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus near Kottampatti in Madurai district during the early hours of Monday.
According to a Daily Thanthi report, the injured have been admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, where they are undergoing treatment.
According to police, the private omni bus was travelling from Chennai to Marthandam when the accident occurred on the four-lane highway near Vandinagar, close to Kottampatti.
The driver is suspected to have lost control of the vehicle, causing it to cross into the opposite lane and collide head-on with a TNSTC bus travelling from Madurai to Tiruchy.
Following the impact, the omni bus veered off the road and crashed into a roadside passenger shelter, leaving its front portion completely mangled. The government bus overturned in the collision.
Police personnel and rescue teams rushed to the scene and carried out rescue operations, extricating passengers trapped inside both buses.
Officials said five people four men and one woman died on the spot. 42 passengers, including children, sustained injuries and were shifted to the Government Rajaji Hospital for treatment.
Kottampatti police have registered a case and launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident. The crash caused panic in the area and disrupted traffic on the highway.