Three killed as car collides with bus near Kondotty in Malappuram

Malappuram: Three persons were killed and two others seriously injured in a road accident involving a private bus and a car at Morayur near Kondotty in Malappuram district on Thursday morning.

The deceased have been identified as Basila and Shakkeela, natives of Melattur, and Shiyaz, a native of Mannarkkad. Shiyaz was driving the car at the time of the accident.

According to Kondotty police, the accident occurred around 8 am when the WagonR car, which was travelling from Calicut International Airport towards Melattur, collided head-on with a private bus that was heading towards Kozhikode.

The impact of the collision was severe and the front portion of the car was completely crushed. Local residents, along with police and fire and rescue personnel, rushed to the spot and carried out a rescue operation to pull out the passengers trapped inside the mangled vehicle. Two others who sustained serious injuries in the accident were shifted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for treatment. Their condition is reported to be critical.

Police said that a preliminary examination indicates that the car might have entered the wrong side of the road before colliding with the bus. Officials suspect that the driver may have dozed off while driving, leading to the accident.

“We suspect the driver may have fallen asleep, which could have caused the vehicle to move to the wrong direction. However, the exact cause of the accident can be determined only after a detailed investigation. We will also examine whether the stretch is accident-prone,” a senior police official with Kondotty police said. Police said the passengers in the car were returning home after seeing off a relative at the Calicut International Airport when the accident occurred.