Driver killed, 9 injured in Tuticorin bus crash

Tuticorin: A 56-year-old bus driver was killed and nine passengers sustained injuries after a private bus veered off the road and crashed into an electric pole near Maravanmadam on Tuesday morning. The deceased was identified as Manimuthu, a resident of Seydunganallur.According to police, the bus was heading towards Tuticorin from Eral on the Tuticorin-Tirunelveli national highway with 60 passengers. Around 8.30am when it was nearing Maravanmadam, the driver reportedly lost control, causing the vehicle to veer off the carriageway. The speeding bus first hit an electric pole and slammed into a palmyra tree before dragging on for nearly 100 feet and coming to a halt. The front portion of the bus was mangled, leaving Manimuthu trapped in the debris.Local residents and passersby rushed to rescue the trapped passengers. Nine people who suffered serious injuries were taken to Thoothukudi Govt Medical College Hospital, while Manimuthu succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.Pudukottai police oversaw rescue operations and cleared the traffic snarl on the busy highway. A case was registered, and a detailed investigation is underway to determine if the crash was caused by a mechanical failure or a sudden health complication suffered by the driver.