City couple among 9 killed in TN mishap

The bus carrying 35 passengers from Bangalore was approaching Salem town when its driver seeking to avoid a two-wheeler on the bypass road ne­ar Omalaur swerved to his left but hit another private Dharmapuri-bound bus comi­ng from the opposite direction, police sources said.

The drivers of both the buses were crushed to death in this gory mishap, coming barely three weeks after an air-conditioned luxury bus caught fire after it overturned at Avalur on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway, charring to death 23 passengers on board.

A couple from Bangalore- Kamaal Basha and Gulzath Begum-  was among the casualties.

The two deceased bus drivers were identified as Biji Wilson, who hailed from Thrissur and Packiyaraj of Omalur.

The injured have been admitted to the government hospitals in Omalur and Salem. State Ministers for Higher Education and Highways, P Palaniappan and Edapadi Palanichamy respectively  and district officials rushed to the spot.