Six injured as rear axle of TNSTC bus snaps in Tenkasi

Tenkasi: Six passengers suffered injuries after the rear axle of a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus, along with its dual tyres, snapped off while the vehicle was in motion near Idaikal village in Tenkasi district on Friday. Driver Sankaran, 52, from Vathirayiruppu, sensed the failure in time and slowed down the vehicle, bringing it to a halt and preventing what could have turned into a major accident.

The bus, operated by the Srivilliputhur depot in Virudhunagar district, was on its way from Madurai to Courtallam with 87 passengers on board when the incident occurred on the Thirumangalam–Kollam national highway around 10am. Sources said they heard a loud metallic noise and felt the vehicle shake moments before the axle detached completely, and the bus was dragged without the axle for around 50m.

M Sami, 15, a school student from Idaikal, sustained a fracture in his right leg and was referred to the Tenkasi govt hospital, while M Kavin, 18, a college student from Shenkottai, was admitted to Kadayanallur GH with a foot laceration. T Hariharan, 15, of Idaikal, M Sakthivel, 17, of Oormel Alagiyan, K Banupriya, 18, of Chockampatti, and V Muniyasamy, 71, of Rajapalayam were treated as outpatients. The remaining passengers escaped unharmed. Traffic on the highway was disrupted briefly following the incident. Preliminary reports point to a serious mechanical failure. Tenkasi police registered a case and are investigating the reason.

Reacting to the incident, AMMK leader T T V Dhinakaran blamed the DMK govt for failing to ensure the safety of public transport users. In a statement, he said the repeated mechanical failures and accidents involving TNSTC buses were the result of long-standing negligence by the transport department. "From buses breaking down mid-route to brakes failing and even driver seats collapsing, such incidents are increasing across the state," he said.

Dhinakaran said it was alarming that the rear tyres and axle of a moving govt bus could detach so easily, adding that the govt failed to act even after multiple warnings about poor vehicle maintenance. He questioned the absence of accountability despite thousands of crores being allocated in the annual budget for procuring new buses and maintaining the ageing fleet.

"Where is this money going? Why are the buses used daily by the poor and middle-class left in such a dangerous state?" he asked. He urged the state to not only conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident but also expedite the replacement of outdated buses and ensure proper maintenance of existing ones before more such accidents occur.