CHENNAI: A bus driver died, and around 10 passengers were injured after a tipper lorry carrying M-sand collided with the bus on the Tiruchy-Chennai National Highway near Chengalpattu on Tuesday morning.

A private omnibus was heading to Chennai from Kerala with around 30 passengers on board. When the bus reached Pazhaveli near Chengalpattu, a speeding tipper lorry, in an attempt to overtake the bus, crashed into the bus and overturned on the road.

On impact, the front portion of the bus was completely damaged, and the secondary bus driver, who was seated next to the driver, was trapped in the wreckage, and he died on the spot. Around 10 passengers suffered injuries.

On information, the Chengalpattu Taluk police visited the spot and rushed the injured to the Chengalpattu government hospital and sent the body of the deceased driver for post-mortem examination. The police have registered a case, and a search is on to nab the lorry driver who escaped from the spot after abandoning the vehicle.

As a result of the accident, the traffic was affected on the Trichy-Chennai National Highway for more than an hour, and vehicles were piled up for up to two kilometres.