Ankola:
A NWKRTC (North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation) bus veered off course, flipped three times, and plunged into a gorge, leaving the driver, conductor, and 47 other passengers with injuries in a miraculous escape from fatalities. The mishap took place in Vaddi Ghat in the taluk.
Ongoing roadwork had diverted the Kumta-Sirsi route to the alternate Vaddi path, a state highway notorious for its steep, sharply winding sections through the hilly terrain. Authorities suspect the driver lost grip during one such treacherous bend, sending the bus careening down the slope.
The service, attached to the Kumta depot and traveling from Ballari toward Kumta, carried 49 passengers at the time. Though many bore light bruises and cuts, there are no fatalities reported. Nearby villagers sprang into action, hauling the injured up the embankment and ferrying them via private cars to hospitals in Ankola and Kumta for urgent care.
Police from Ankola station and transport department personnel arrived swiftly to inspect the wreckage and coordinate relief. Local voices, including Gram Panchayat member G.M. Shetty, are demanding immediate interventions like widening the carriageway, smoothing out the perilous curves, and bolstering safety features, given the escalating hazards in Vaddi Ghat.