A second person has died after a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus went out of control near Kuniyamuthur in Coimbatore when its driver collapsed at the wheel following suspected acute chest pain, police said. The crash occurred on Wednesday morning on the busy Palakkad Main Road, killing an autorickshaw driver at the scene and injuring several others.
The latest victim, identified as S Abbas, 46, of Sunnambu Kalavai, died on Thursday while undergoing treatment at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. Abbas was riding a motorcycle when the bus collided with vehicles near the Sunnambu Kalavai area.
Police said the TNSTC bus was carrying more than 40 passengers and was travelling from Palathurai to Ukkadam when the incident occurred. The driver, T Martin, 54, of Jothi Nagar in Singanallur, reportedly complained of acute chest pain before collapsing in his seat within moments.
After the driver lost control, the bus veered erratically across the road and struck a car, an autorickshaw and several two-wheelers ahead. The autorickshaw was completely crushed in the collision. Its driver, Noor Mohammad, 51, of Annamma Naicker Street in Kuniyamuthur, died at the spot, according to the police account reported by Times of India.
The collision brought together several risks associated with a heavily used urban road: a large passenger vehicle, mixed traffic and a sudden medical emergency involving the driver. The road serves buses travelling between Palathurai and Ukkadam, while the Sunnambu Kalavai stretch near Kuniyamuthur carries cars, autorickshaws and two-wheelers.
The deaths of Mohammad and Abbas bring the reported toll from the crash to two. The supplied police account does not provide details of the number of other injured people, their medical condition, or whether a formal investigation has determined the exact cause of the driver’s medical emergency.
The incident also leaves unanswered operational questions about the bus and its journey, including whether any onboard safety response was possible after the driver collapsed. No further statement from the transport corporation or details of an official vehicle inspection were included in the report.
Police said the bus had more than 40 passengers at the time of the crash. Further updates are expected from investigators and the transport authorities as they examine the collision and the circumstances leading to the driver losing control of the vehicle.
