TIRUPUR: At least 19 people suffered injuries after a speeding Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus fell off an over-bridge on Tirupur-Avinashi road here on Kochi-Salem National Highway in the early hours of Sunday. According to the Avinashi police, Jaison, the driver of the bus that was on its way from Pathanamthitta to Bengaluru, lost control of the vehicle allegedly because he fell asleep behind the wheels.

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The accident occurred around 3 am when the multi-axle bus was proceeding from Pathanamthitta in Kerala to Bengaluru with 24 passengers on board. The driver tried to overtake a truck in front of him. He, however, lost control over the bus, which crashed into the parapet wall of the over-bridge and fell down.  The injured were admitted to the government hospital here, they added. Police and fire and rescue services personnel pulled all the 26 passengers to safety. Further investigation is on, police said.

The police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel rescued the driver, who sustained a fracture on his leg. They also took the help of the people living in the vicinity to help the passengers come out of the vehicle. “Bus driver Jaison was trapped between the dashboard and his seat. So, it was difficult to bring him out. It took more than seven hours to clear the bus using a crane,” the officer said.

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