TN: 9 killed as tourist bus falls into gorge near Ooty
Police say the bus carrying passengers from Ooty to Mettupalayam fell into a gorge after its driver lost control of the vehicle near a hair-pin bend
At least nine people were killed on Saturday (September 30) when a tourist bus negotiating its way through a hair-pin bend on the hills of Niligiris near Ooty fell into a gorge after the driver lost control of the vehicle.
Police said the bus was carrying 60 passengers and was on its way from Ooty to Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district when the incident occurred. They said preliminary probe suggests the driver lost control of the vehicle while turning it at a hairpin bend, causing it to topple down the steep incline.
The injured were rushed to the Coonoor government hospital and are under treatment.
“The bus was carrying 60 passengers. The rescue team is in full force. We have rescued all the passengers. Eight persons have been declared dead. The rest are undergoing treatment. The government has acted in full swing,” Nilgiris District Collector Aruna told ANI.
Expressing his anguish over the deaths, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to the kin of the victims.
“Pained by the loss of lives due to a bus accident near Coonoor in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. Those injured would be given ₹50,000: PM @narendramodi," the prime minister's official X handle said.
Chief Minister MK Stalin too has announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh for the kin of the deceased, ₹1 lakh for those who sustained serious injuries and ₹50,000 with passengers with minimum injuries.
