COIMBATORE: A 16-year-old boy died and 17 others were injured after a private bus rammed into a tanker in Dharmapuri on Thursday night.

Police said the bus from Krishnagiri took a sharp turn from the National Highway to enter Periyampatti village near Karimangalam in Dharmapuri, when a tanker bound to Bangalore in the opposite direction, rammed into the bus. In the impact of the mishap, the bus toppled on its side.

Police said Surya (16), son of farmer Muthuvel from PK Pallam Village near Indamangalam, who was seated on a parked two-wheeler along the roadside, was crushed to death beneath the bus, while two other bystanders suffered injuries.

On receiving an alert, the Karimangalam police, along with villagers, rescued the passengers from the bus. More than 15 injured passengers were taken to the Dharmapuri Government Hospital for treatment.

The body of the boy, who had written his Class 10 exam, was sent for a post-mortem in the government hospital.

Traffic was disrupted on the stretch for more than an hour due to the mishap. The Karimangalam police have registered a case, and further inquiries are on.