Kochi , 27 August (H.S.):

A major disaster was narrowly averted after a tourist bus carrying around 35 members of a wedding party overturned and crashed into the premises of a fuel station at Kakkoor in Koothattukulam on Thursday morning.

The accident occurred around 10.25 am on the busy Koothattukulam-Piravom road. Around 20 passengers sustained injuries, but police said all of them were in stable condition.

The bus was travelling from Piravom towards Ilanji with passengers attending a wedding. Most of those on board were elderly people, women and children.

According to Koothattukulam police, the accident occurred when a two-wheeler suddenly turned towards the fuel station without using an indicator or checking for vehicles approaching from behind.

The bus driver applied the brakes abruptly and swerved to the right to avoid hitting the two-wheeler. The sudden manoeuvre caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, which overturned onto its side and slid into the fuel station compound.

CCTV footage from the station showed the bus crashing into a concrete barrier before entering the premises. It came dangerously close to the fuel dispensers before sliding to a halt.

The vehicle also narrowly missed a car parked near the dispensers for refuelling and another two-wheeler waiting nearby. The motorcyclist whose sudden turn reportedly triggered the accident escaped being crushed by only a few inches.

The injured passengers were rescued from the overturned bus and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. None of them was reported to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

Police said the accident could have resulted in a major catastrophe if the bus had collided with the fuel dispensers, as such an impact could have triggered a fire or explosion. The circumstances surrounding the crash are being examined, including the conduct of the two-wheeler rider and the sequence of events captured on available CCTV.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman