Coonoor bus accident: Toll rises to nine; T.N. Ministers meet survivors

Relatives of the victims can get in touch with the district administration through the toll free number at 1077 and 0423-2450034

The toll in the bus accident near Marapallam along the Coonoor-Mettupalayam Road rose to nine on Sunday.

The deceased persons were identified as Kowsalya, 29; Jaya, 40; Babykala, 42; Thangam, 50; Muppidathi, 67; Nithin Kanna, 15; Elango, 64; Murugesan, 65; and Padmarani, 58.

The body of Padmarani was found on Sunday morning. The nine persons were killed when the bus in which they were travelling, from the Nilgiris to Tenkasi, toppled off the road and fell more than 50 feet into a ravine on Saturday. As many as 60 persons, including the bus driver, were said to have been in the vehicle.

On Sunday, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian and Tourism Minister K. Ramachandran handed over ₹1 lakh each to two persons who suffered serious injuries and ₹50,000 each to 32 persons who suffered minor injuries. S.K. Prabhakar, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department; and Collector M. Aruna were present.

Mr. Subramanian said ₹2 lakh each to the kin of the nine deceased persons would also be given.

A total of 15 passengers, who had escaped with minor injuries, were being given counselling and treated for the physical and psychological effects that the incident may have had on them, he added.

He also appreciated the efforts of first responders, rescuers and ambulance drivers and said that he had visited two passengers — Chellammal, 70 and Muppidathayi, 65 — who had suffered serious injuries and consoled them. They are undergoing treatment at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.

Both the Ministers also met survivors who escaped with little to no injury and have been housed in temporary relief camps, and assured them that they would be sent home soon.

Relatives of the victims can get in touch with the district administration through the toll free number — 1077 and 0423-2450034.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister’s office tweeted about the accident. “Pained by the loss of lives due to a bus accident near Coonoor in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray the injured recover soon,” the official X [formerly Twitter] handle of PMO’s office said. Ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh each to next of kin of the deceased and ₹50,000 each to the injured persons from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund were announced.