Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a solatium of Rs 2 lakhs to the family of the students who died and Rs 50,000 to those who were injured in the bus accident in Palakkad today, October 6. The Prime Minister’s Office tweeted that the Prime Minister expressed his condolences and is praying for the speedy recovery of those injured in the accident.
Nine people, including five students and a teacher of the school, were killed after a private tourist bus hit a state-run KSRTC bus from behind at Vadakkenchery in Palakkad district. The accident occurred around 11.30 pm on Wednesday when the private bus, which was travelling at a high speed, while attempting to overtake a car, hit the rear end of a KSRTC bus, resulting in the ghastly crash. The tourist bus had started from the Baselios Vidyanikethan Senior Secondary School in Ernakulam at around 7 PM on Wednesday with 42 students and five teachers for a pleasure trip to Ooty in Tamil Nadu.
കേരളത്തിലെ പാലക്കാട് ജില്ലയിലുണ്ടായ റോഡപകടത്തിലെ ജീവഹാനിയിൽ പ്രധാനമന്ത്രി @narendramodi ദുഃഖം രേഖപ്പെടുത്തി. മരിച്ചവരുടെ കുടുംബങ്ങളെ അദ്ദേഹം അനുശോചനം അറിയിക്കുകയും പരിക്കേറ്റവർ വേഗം സുഖം പ്രാപിക്കാൻ പ്രാർത്ഥിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 6, 2022
The driver of the KSRTC bus told reporters that he was driving at a speed of around 40 km per hour when the private bus suddenly hit them from behind and he barely managed to control the vehicle and prevent it from falling into a ditch. "The private bus hit us from behind, ripped off a piece of our bus from one side and then went past us at high speed and toppled over," the KSRTC bus driver said. Visuals of the private bus showed a large piece of the state-transport vehicle inside the tourist bus.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also condoled the deaths and said that action will be initiated against those violating motor rules. "Joining the grief of families of the deceased. The cause of the accident will be inquired. Stern action will be taken against violation of rules on the road," he said. Leader of opposition VD Satheesan also condoled the deaths. He urged the MVD to step up its vehicle examination and not to be stern only when major accidents happen. “The tourist bus was speeding. The speed of the bus was 97.2 kmph at the time of the accident. How could the bus be speeding when there is a speed controller,” he asked.
(With PTI inputs)