Ponnampet: A KSRTC service bus has taken five lives at Kanur Junction near here, by head-on collision with a Maruthi Omni the spot. The state bus driver has run away. There is no more dead.
The dead are members of one family, belonging to Cheriyaparambu near Napoklu in Kodagu. They were traveling to Manadawadi in Kerala for medical treatment.
The KSRTC bus driver Haraliah tried to overtake a jeep on way but at the road turning met the Omni Van head-on. The dead bodies were taken to the family home. Two children, seriously injured, and two others (total4) were taken to Mysore.
P.M Harris (32) the Omni driver, Siraz (30), P. Ummar (40) and Aisamma (34) are the dead. Ibrahim, Shafila, Salman and Pasmia are injured and in a Mysore hospital now.
Police are investigating the accident and searching for the absconding driver.