38 injured as bus topples near Honnavar; Special bus bringing children to Mysuru

Mysore/Mysuru: A joyful school excursion to Murudeshwar turned tragic when the bus carrying 10th Standard students and teachers of Taralabalu High School, Saraswathipuram, Mysuru, toppled near Honnavar in Uttara Kannada yesterday, killing one student and injuring 38 others, including teachers.

Among the injured, two students and a teacher are reported to have suffered serious injuries and are undergoing treatment at Manipal Hospital in Udupi.

The deceased student has been identified as Pavan, son of Hemanth Kumar and Chitra of Janata Nagar, Mysuru. The injured teacher, Vanamala, is said to have sustained two fractures in her wrist, while the girl student Kushi has reportedly suffered serious head injuries.

Meanwhile, the local MLA Mankal S. Vaidya and the Teachers’ Association have arranged a bus for the safe return of the remaining students and teachers to Mysuru. The vehicle left Honnavar at 11 am today.

Family members of the deceased Pavan reached Honnavar earlier this morning. The post-mortem was conducted at a local hospital and the body was handed over to the family this afternoon after completing legal formalities.

According to Physical Education (PE) teacher Girish, who accompanied the students on the excursion, Pavan’s body is expected to reach Mysuru tonight.

Details: On Saturday night, 44 students and four teachers left Mysuru in a private bus hired for the trip to Murudeshwar in the Uttara Kannada district.

In the early hours of Sunday, as the bus was travelling near Sulemarki Cross, close to Gerusoppe near Honnavar, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to topple.

Pavan died on the spot, while several students and teachers sustained injuries. The bus driver, identified as Sanjay, is said to have fled immediately after the accident.

Honnavar Police rushed to the spot, arranged ambulances and other vehicles, and shifted the injured to hospitals in Honnavar and Kumta. Three of the seriously injured were shifted to Manipal Hospital in Udupi. Honnavar Police have registered a case and are investigating.