Bhatkal: The conductor of a Mangaluru-Bhatkal KSRTC Volvo bus lost his life after a huge branch of a tree pierced into the bus at Bhatkal on Thursday night November 15th. The deceased has been identified as Panchaiah Matapathy (35) of Belagavi.
The KSRTC bus was plying from Mangaluru towards Bhatkal and reached it destination at 8:55 pm. After all the passengers alighted, the driver and conductor had food at a hotel and were heading towards the KSRTC depot on Sagar road when tragedy struck.
In a bid to avert collision with an oncoming auto-rickshaw, the bus driver veered the vehicle towards one side when the tree branch pierced into the bus and seriously injured Panchaiah who died on the spot.