A Mettur bus accident injured 26 passengers after a state-run bus rammed into the rear of a stationary private bus near Navapatti in Tamil Nadu’s Mettur area on Monday, police said. The collision temporarily disrupted traffic on the Mettur-Erode road and left the front portion of the government bus severely damaged.
According to a report by Deccan Chronicle, the private bus was travelling from Mettur bus stand to Erode when its driver, identified as Saravana Muthu, stopped near the Navapatti bus stop to pick up passengers. A government bus travelling towards Coimbatore then hit the private bus from behind, officials said.
All 26 reported injuries were among passengers travelling on the government bus. The injured included 16 men, eight women and two children. The report did not provide details on the severity of the injuries, but said the passengers were shifted to Mettur Government Hospital for treatment.
Mettur police reached the location after receiving information about the collision. Police and emergency responders rescued the injured passengers and transported them to the government hospital by ambulance. The impact brought the government bus to a halt in the middle of the Mettur-Erode road.
The collision affected traffic movement on the road for a period after the crash. The report did not specify how long the disruption lasted or when both buses were removed from the carriageway. It also did not state whether any passengers travelling on the private bus were injured.
Police have registered a case and begun an investigation into the circumstances of the crash. The available report does not identify the specific cause of the collision, such as speed, visibility, mechanical failure or driver error. Further details are expected from the investigation and statements recorded by the authorities.
