CHENNAI: About 15 passengers travelling in government buses suffered injuries after two buses collided near Acharapakkam in Chengalpattu district around midnight on Saturday. The police suspect that one of the drivers fell asleep behind the wheel, leading to the mishap.

One of the buses was reaching Chennai from Karaikudi, while the other was travelling from Kilambakkam towards Tiruvannamalai.

The driver of the Karaikudi-Chennai bus lost control of the vehicle when it reached Acharapakkam and drove over the centre median along the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway, and collided into the bus moving towards Tiruvannamalai.

Traffic towards Villupuram was halted due to the accident. The passersby attended to the passengers in the bus until police and rescue personnel arrived.

About 15 passengers who were injured were rescued and moved to a private hospital. The buses involved in the accident were cleared from the road with heavy machinery. Further investigations are under way.