Five injured as car plunges off flyover in Alappuzha

Cherthala: A car carrying five passengers veered out of control and fell off a flyover at Ottappunna in Cherthala, Alappuzha, on Monday evening, injuring all five occupants. The passengers comprised three women and two men. One of them is reportedly in critical condition.

The incident occurred around 5 pm when the car, travelling from Guruvayoor to Kollam, veered out of control, possibly after the driver fell asleep at the wheel, police said. “The passengers were returning home after attending a wedding in Guruvayoor. It is likely that the driver fell asleep,” an officer told Onmanorama.

The section of the overbridge where the accident occurred did not have a concrete wall and was instead fenced with steel bars. According to the police, the car crashed into the bars, bending them before plunging onto the road, about 15 feet below.

“The work on a concrete wall is under way, and the steel bars were being used temporarily,” the officer said.

All five passengers were rushed to Cherthala Taluk Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment.

Police said the process of identifying the passengers has not yet been completed. However, they plan to seek more details from one of the occupants, who is in stable condition. “He was the one who told us that another passenger had sustained serious injuries and was in critical condition,” the police said.
Officials said the investigation is underway.