A Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus carrying more than 40 passengers collided with multiple vehicles near Kuniyamuthur in Coimbatore after its driver collapsed while driving, killing two people and injuring others, police said. The collision occurred near the Sunnambu Kalavai area on the busy Palakkad Main Road on Wednesday morning.
The bus was travelling from Palathurai to Ukkadam when driver T Martin, 54, of Jothi Nagar in Singanallur, complained of acute chest pain and collapsed in his seat, according to police. The bus then veered erratically across the road before hitting a car, an autorickshaw and several two-wheelers.
The autorickshaw driver, Noor Mohammad, 51, of Annamma Naicker Street in Kuniyamuthur, died at the scene after the vehicle was completely crushed in the collision. The impact also caused grievous injuries to motorcycle rider S Abbas, 46, of Sunnambu Kalavai.
Abbas was taken to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment. He died on Thursday, making him the second person to die in the crash. The report did not provide details of the number of other injured people or their medical condition.
The incident has raised immediate safety concerns around the operation of heavy passenger vehicles on a busy urban road when a driver suffers a sudden medical emergency. The bus was carrying a large number of passengers, while the collision involved several categories of road users, including a car occupant, an autorickshaw driver and two-wheeler riders.
The available account identifies the driver’s suspected medical emergency as the trigger for the crash. It does not state whether any mechanical failure was found, whether the bus had a designated relief arrangement, or what further action authorities or the transport corporation planned after the collision. Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash.
