Sagar: KSRTC Bus plunges into 50 ft Gorge; 3 Passenger Die; Several Injured

By Ashritha D’Souza
Bellevision Media Network

Sagar, 2 Nov 2013: Three passengers died and ove 18 passengers injured in a ghastly road mishap of a state-owned bus in a deep curve located at Joginamata, near Jog Falls, here on Friday November 1.

 

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) ‘Rajahamsa’ semi-luxury bus that was sourced from Kolar depot, bearing license plate number KA 07 F 1277 was plying from Bangalore to Kumta with 46 passengers in order to accommodate Deepavali rush.

 
When the bus was ascending from Aadukatta Ghat on national highway on Friday November 1 early  morning, the bus veered at the deep curve located at Joginamata and thrice rolled over and remained upright on a paddy field 50 feet below. Almost all the forty-six passengers were fast asleep. 

 

 
The deceased has been identified as twenty-six-year-old Nilesh, a native of Honnavar, sixty-years-old Mastamma, a native of Kumta and twenty-seven-years-old Kiran, a native of Kumta who died on the spot.

 
Fifteen passengers including Shweta Hegde from Gokarna, Balindrappa, Ganapati and Vinayaka from Kumta, Shailesh from Honnavar are admitted to sub-division government hospital in Sagar.

 
Three injured were admitted to primary health centre (PHC) at Kargal, near Jog.

 
The aggrieved passengers alleged that the bus was not mechanically fit for long distance journey.  In order to accommodate peak Deepavali rush, the authorities assigned it was the sole reason for the mishap, alleged the aggrieved passengers. 

 
The locals including Kargal – Jog gram panchayat member Rajkumar rushed to the spot to rescue the survivors.