[www.thehindu.com]
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“The accident occurred around 1 a.m. when the bus driver lost control over the vehicle and rammed the bike before colliding with the car. While Harindrashankar and Kiran Babu died on the spot, Akshay and Jisha, who were pulled out after cutting open the car, died on the way to hospital,” said Crispin Sam, Circle Inspector of Police, North Paravur.
Three other women passengers in the car — Alappuzha native Gudiya S. Lal, 22, Kozhikode native Athira Sasikumar, 22, and Athulya Nair, 22, from Palakkad — sustained grievous injuries and are undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of a private hospital. However, their condition is said to be out of danger.
Meanwhile, six persons who were travelling in the bus were admitted to hospital after suffering minor injuries. They were discharged later.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the bus, carrying a group of pilgrims who had been returning to Edappal after visiting the Mata Amritanandamayi Asram at Vallikavu in Kollam, was in the wrong lane and speeding.
The Cusat students were returning to their college at Kalamassery after attending New Year celebrations at Kadamakudy. The bike riders too were on the way to Ernakulam from North Paravur.
“According to a preliminary probe, the bus driver, Vipin Raj, had dozed off. In the impact of the collision, both the car and the bike were reduced to a heap of mangled metal,” police said. Vipin Raj was arrested and charged under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the IPC.