TNSTC bus plunges into 5-foot pit, none injured

The government bus on route number MT27, attached to the Villupuram depot, was plying on the Kattupakkam – Kottur Road when the mishap took place. According to the Tiruvallur district police, the bus was heading towards Minjur on the highway when a two-wheeler that was coming in the opposite direction almost collided head on with the bus. “In order to avoid a collision with the motorcycle, the bus driver swerved the vehicle to the left side of the road without realising that a five-foot deep pit had been dug along the roadside. The front wheels of the bus plunged into the ditch. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured,” said a police official.

Immediately after the mishap, the crew members helped all the passengers get out of the vehicle safely and called the transport corporation officials for help to recover the vehicle. “Maintenance staff immediately arrived with earth moving equipment that pulled the vehicle out of the pit. The entire operation took around 45 minutes,” a police officer said.

The bus was later taken to the maintenance shed while passengers were sent off to their destinations in other vehicles. Since no casualties were reported, no case was registered and the crew was allowed to continue with their day.

The Tiruvallur police said that similar incidents had taken place in district highways, as local panchayats often dug out pits along the roadside for various activities. They also fail to put a sign board or other indicators for vehicles plying on the road.