Thrissur: Ten people were injured in a collision between a KSRTC bus and a lorry at the Pannithadam centre on the Kechery-Akkikavu bypass road early on Thursday. The incident took place around 1:30 am at the junction where the Kunnamkulam-Wadakkanchery State Highway meets the Akkikavu-Kechery bypass.

Among those injured were KSRTC bus driver Rajesh, conductor Shaiju Abraham, lorry driver Radhakrishnan, and passengers Sajeev, Satheesh, Elson, Shameer, Sheena, Liji, and Shijin. The KSRTC bus was en route from Kozhikode to Kumily via Thrissur, while the lorry was transporting fish from Kunnamkulam to Cheruthuruthy.

The accident occurred when the lorry coming from Kunnamkulam rammed into the bus entering Pannithadam centre from the Akkikavu side. The lorry hit the driver’s side of the bus, causing the driver to be thrown out onto the road. Following the collision, both vehicles veered off course and crashed into the front areas of nearby shops on the roadside toward Wadakkanchery. The front sections of both vehicles were completely damaged.

Locals, passengers, and emergency response teams—including Erumapetty Acts members, Kadangode Panchayat ambulance workers, Kunnamkulam traffic ambulance staff, and CHC ambulance teams—rushed to the spot for rescue operations. Police from Erumapetty and Kunnamkulam also arrived at the scene.

The injured were first taken to Malankara Hospital in Kunnamkulam. The bus driver, who was critically injured, was later shifted to Thrissur Medical College Hospital, while two seriously injured passengers were moved to private hospitals in Thrissur.

The ambulance driver who took the KSRTC bus driver to Thrissur Medical College hospital alleged that Rajesh, who was critically injured, was denied timely treatment. Ambulance driver Sadiq said that despite his condition, Rajesh was left without proper medical attention for nearly 45 minutes after being brought to the hospital. Rajesh was reportedly made to lie on a stretcher as no beds were available in the hospital’s Red Zone.

When the delay in treatment was questioned, hospital staff allegedly responded by saying, "Isn't this a government hospital?" It was only after Sadiq informed KSRTC officials that the staff suggested transferring the patient to a nearby private hospital. Rajesh was then shifted to Amala Hospital.

By 4 am, another KSRTC bus from the Guruvayur depot arrived and transported the remaining passengers. The bus and lorry crashed into local resident Shahid’s shops, causing property damage.