COIMBATORE: As many as 21 passengers were injured after the electric omnibus they were travelling in crashed into a median and caught fire in Coimbatore early Sunday morning.

According to police, the bus heading to Coimbatore from Tiruchirappalli met with an accident around 2.30 am. As the bus reached the Karumathampatti flyover, Pasupathi, who was behind the wheel, lost control, and the bus rammed into a wall separating the service road and flyover.

In the impact of the mishap, the passengers suffered injuries. Meanwhile, two truck drivers, C Sabarimalai (29) and M Ramesh (29), from Virudhunagar district, who were passing by the way in their truck from Gujarat to Sulur, noticed smoke billowing out from the battery of the bus.

They immediately halted the truck on the roadside and broke the window panes of the bus, and helped passengers come out. By the time all passengers got out, the bus went up in flames. On receiving information, the firefighters from Karumathampatti and Sulur stations rushed to the spot and battled to douse the flame.

The injured passengers were rushed to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) and various private hospitals. The bus driver and conductor escaped unhurt. The Karumathampatti police have registered a case, and further inquiries are on.

The district police appreciated the two truck drivers for their timely help in saving the lives of the passengers.