Palakkad: Two persons died as a Kozhikode-bound AC sleeper bus operated by Kallada Travels lost control and overturned at Thiruvazhiyode near Cherpulassery in Palakkad district around 7.30 am.
The bus en route to Kozhikode from Chennai had 27-odd passengers, including the crew, onboard at the time.
Two persons were pronounced brought dead at the critical care unit of the Palakkad district hospital; those who sustained minor injuries are being treated at the nearby government and private hospitals.
The deceased are Ponnani native Sainaba and Kuttyadi native Ishan. Three persons including the bus driver are critically injured and undergoing treatment at Palakkad district hospital, said Palakkad district police chief R Anand.
According to eyewitnesses, the speeding vehicle lost control at a steep descent and rammed an electric post before it overturned to its right side at the centre of the highway. Some of those critically injured were stuck under the bus, a source said.
According to the accounts of residents of the area and Sreekrishnapuram police, it took nearly 20 minutes to raise the bus and rescue the two persons who were trapped under the vehicle.
"Both of the injured persons are critical," said a police official. The accident resulted in a traffic jam on the stretch of the highway.
