Madurai: Six killed, 42 hurt after omni bus jumps median, hits TNSTC bus

CHENNAI: At least six people, including two teachers, were killed and 42 others injured after an omni bus crossed the median and rammed a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus near Kottampatti in Madurai district in the early hours of Monday.

Police said the private omni bus, travelling from Chennai to Marthandam, lost control near Vanchinagaram on the Madurai-Tiruchy four-lane highway. The vehicle mounted the median, entered the opposite carriageway and collided head-on with a government bus travelling from Madurai to Tiruchy. The impact threw the TNSTC bus off the road into a roadside ditch.

The omni bus then veered back onto its carriageway and crashed into a passenger bus shelter, demolishing the structure. Perumal (70), who was sleeping inside the shelter, later succumbed to his injuries, taking the death toll to six.

Five people died at the scene. They were identified as Siriyapushpam (56), a teacher from Samadhanapuram in Palayamkottai; Abraham (40), an employee of the omni bus from Pettikulam in Tirunelveli; Anandaraj (46), a postgraduate teacher at the Government Model Higher Secondary School in Thuvarankurichi; Surya (29) of Tiruchy; and Mohammed Yasin (60) of Koothankulam in Tirunelveli.

Rescue personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services, police and the Highways Department extricated the injured and shifted 42 passengers to the Melur Government Hospital. Of them, seven persons with serious injuries were later referred to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai for advanced treatment.

Madurai Range DIG Abhinav Kumar, Madurai Superintendent of Police Devanathan, Melur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sivakumar, and District Collector Nishanth Krishna visited the accident site and hospitals to oversee rescue operations and enquire about the condition of the injured.

Police said two bodies trapped inside the mangled omni bus were recovered after prolonged rescue efforts. The bodies have been sent to the Melur Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Kottampatti police have registered a case and are investigating the cause of the accident.

The latest crash has renewed concerns over the frequency of accidents involving omni buses on the Madurai-Tiruchy National Highway near Kottampatti, with local residents urging authorities to implement stronger road safety measures.