Eight persons suffered injuries when a private omni bus proceeding to Rameswaram from Chennai collided with a TNSTC bus that was heading towards Madurai from Rameswaram, on the Pamban Bridge near Rameswaram on Wednesday.
According to police, 37 passengers were travelling in the TNSTC bus. The omni bus was driven by R. Krishnamurthy (40). During the accident, both the buses suffered damage and eight persons including the passengers of the TNSTC bus and the omni bus driver, suffered multiple injuries and were rushed to the Ramanathapuram Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Pamban police team rushed to the accident spot and traffic on the Pamban Bridge had to be suspended for about 45 minutes from 7 a.m. to 7.45 a.m., police said.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the omni bus, which was travelling to Rameswaram, took the right side on the bridge as a few two-wheelers were parked on the left. In the course, the omni bus collided against the TNSTC bus that came in the opposite direction. As a result, eight passengers in the government bus were injured.
The omni bus, which was reportedly coming at a high speed, hit the parapet wall and halted. “It was a narrow escape for the passengers as the bus came to a grinding halt only after hitting the wall, a traffic police officer said.
A motorist, who was taking a selfie with his friend on the bridge said the omni bus was driven in a rash and negligent manner. If the driver had waited for the TNSTC bus to cross, the accident could have been averted. It was a miraculous escape for all the passengers, he added.
Pamban police have registered a case. Rescue teams were deployed to remove the omni-bus from the accident spot.
