[Resolved]  TNSTC — SETC Bus (Pondicherry to Bangalore 22.30) accident today 4th August near Krishnagiri

Address:

Pondicherry, Puducherry

I boarded the SETC bus from Pondicherry to Bangalore on 3rd August @ 22.30. Early morning today(4th August) around 4 to 5 AM, we all shaken up by a thunderous sound and then realized our bus got hit the tree on the opposite direction of the road. There were screaming of people for help and then we realized, that there were no EMERGENCY EXIT or no marking to this effect in this bus. I was seated in seat no 15, and the seats before me got jammed or broken. The conductor got seriously injured and was lying down the seat with blood all around. 5 passengers got seriously hit and one who couldn't move or even shake his right leg and a lady's face was seriously injured. However the driver came down the bus unhurt and instead of helping the passengers or conductor, he simply collected his bags and belongings, came to the left side to pick up the conductor's cash box and then no trace of him. We passengers helped each other to pull out the conductor down and carry down the very seriously injured young men. Passer by where kind enough to tell which place it was exactly (Jayadevi 15 kms near Krishnagiri) and helped the accident victims by calling ambulance. 108 help came only after 45mins to 1 hour. Other passengers who were hurt minorily were treated after some time by another ambulance which came, By now we could see the driver around us with all his belongings and no remorse to what happened to his passengers. Only when I went up to him and asked whether he will be arranging another vehicle or stop the vehicles passing by to transport the balance passengers, he has no response to me and then only calling the depot. With no other help coming from this driver or the police vehicle there, passengers started to move one by one by arranging our mode of vehicles and happen to travel standing from the accident spot till Bangalore carrying the accident trauma in mind. It shows the very lack of training during emergency or attitude still our Government bus drivers carry towards the work or passengers and the quality of seats provided, which couldn't resist to these types of impact. SEAT BELT could have saved many people getting hit in their faces/head. Not sure when government is going to put in these safety measures for its passengers. In a hope that this be made to the notice of the executive team to take action and prevent such accidents future or when such incident happen, at least what can be done to quickly save people & their lives.