Kochi: At least 23 passengers were injured after a speeding private bus lost control and crashed into a concrete pillar at the Kumbalam toll plaza on the national highway on Friday morning.

The accident occurred around 7.45 am when the private bus, operating on the Cherthala–Kaloor route via Aroor and Vyttila, was carrying more than 40 passengers.

According to preliminary information, the speeding bus mounted the median divider as it approached the toll corridor and crashed into a tall concrete pillar at the toll plaza. The impact shattered the front portion and windshield of the bus and damaged the base of the pillar, exposing its iron reinforcement rods.

The force of the collision caused the bus to tilt sideways by around 20 to 30 degrees. With the vehicle packed with passengers, several commuters were thrown onto one another inside the bus, resulting in injuries including facial fractures, shoulder injuries and joint dislocations.

The injured were rushed to VPS Lakeshore Hospital, Panangad, where hospital authorities said none of the victims was in a life-threatening condition.

“Around 23 people are in the hospital at Lakeshore Hospital. It is understood that nobody is critical,” a police official from Panangad police station said.

A hospital official told Onmanorama that around 17 of the admitted patients were women, many of whom were seated in the front rows of the bus.

“CT scans need to be taken for about four or five people. But none of them is in a critical stage,” the official said.

“As the vehicle got onto the divider, the bus tilted like 20, 25, 30 degrees. Because of that, everyone inside the vehicle fell onto each other. Several people sustained severe injuries to their faces and all, mostly facial fractures, and shoulder dislocations. Around 17 are women. No children are involved,” the official added.

The driver and conductor had not initially reported to the hospital, and preliminary checks suggested that they had escaped serious injuries. The police said they were verifying whether either of them had suffered minor fractures.

Eyewitnesses and residents alleged that speeding by private buses was common in the area and said vehicles often entered adjacent lanes while approaching the toll plaza to skip the queues.

According to the police, the vehicle came at overspeed and entered the opposite track, crashing right there. They have launched an inquiry into the accident and are examining surveillance footage from the toll plaza to determine what led to the crash. There are reports that the bus’ brakes failed, leading to the crash.

“We are only now retrieving the CCTV footage from there. Whether the brakes failed or what happened has to be verified,” the police officer said.

Traffic movement through the toll corridor remained largely normal after the accident, with vehicles being diverted through adjacent lanes. Traffic volume was relatively low as Friday was a public holiday.

The police said the concrete toll plaza pillar may have prevented the bus from crashing into other vehicles waiting at the toll gates, potentially averting a more serious accident.