Four killed, two injured in Kerala bus crash on Bengaluru‑Mysuru expressway

Four people were killed on the spot and at least two others were seriously injured in a tragic road accident early Monday when a private bus from Kerala veered off the Bengaluru‑Mysuru Expressway and rammed into a roadside divider , officials said. The fatal collision took place near Puttappanadoddi in Sankalagere village in Channapatna taluk of Ramanagara/Bengaluru South district at around 4.10‑4.30 am , police and updated reports said.

The bus, operated by PK Travels and travelling from Kozhikode in Kerala to Bengaluru , was carrying around 42 passengers when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle and it struck the iron roadside barrier dividing the expressway and service road . It continued to scrape the divider for nearly 100 metres before coming to a halt, a senior officer said.

Among those killed were Mohammed Farhan (22) and Sulfi (45) , both from Kozhikode, and Rasheed (45) of Kalasipalya and Sakir (27) of Annepalya in Bengaluru, police identified. Two injured passengers, Abdul and Allen from Kannur in Kerala , were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, authorities said.

Initial investigations and CCTV footage analysis indicated that the driver may have dozed off at the wheel , resulting in the fatal crash after he briefly lost control, police said. When questioned, the driver, identified as Riyaz , claimed he tried to avoid an oncoming vehicle, but officers said evidence so far suggests fatigue and negligence played a major role. A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for causing death by negligence, and the driver has been taken into custody , officials added.

Channapatna traffic police and emergency services responded to the scene and shifted the injured and the bodies of the deceased to the Channapatna Government Hospital . Police continue detailed inquiries into the circumstances leading up to the accident.

Investigators noted that while the presence of the crash barrier may have prevented a more severe disaster, victims lost their lives due to the impact of the collision . Preliminary findings are expected to be followed by further forensic and technical examination as part of the ongoing probe.