Mysuru bus with Sabarimala pilgrims falls into gorge in Kasaragod; one killed, 42 injured

Kasaragod: A bus returning from Sabarimala with 52 pilgrims from Mysuru plunged into a gorge in Kasaragod’s East Eleri panchayat, killing one person and injuring around 42 others, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Harish M C (36), son of Channagowda, a resident of Chunchanakatte village in Krishnarajanagara (KR Nagar) taluk, about 40 km from Mysore.

Of the 42 injured, the condition of two is said to be serious. They have been shifted to Baby Memorial Hospital, Kannur, said an officer of the Chittarikkal police. The remaining injured are undergoing treatment at St Sebastian Hospital, Leader K Karunakaran Memorial Hospital, and Cooperative Hospital — all three located in the neighbouring Cherupuzha panchayat in Kannur district. Five children are among the injured.

Police said all the pilgrims were from Chunchanakatte village. The accident occurred at Kattankavala on the Hill Highway, about 4 km from Chittarikkal and nearly 180 km from their homes. The 52-seater bus was fully packed, police said.

“It is a treacherous curve where unfamiliar drivers can be thrown off guard,” said an officer from the Chittarikkal police station. He added that in May 2016, a Tamil Nadu-registered borewell rig also toppled and fell into the 40-ft gorge at the same spot, killing four migrant workers.