Palakkad bus accident: PM Modi expresses grief over loss of lives, announces ex-gratia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed grief over the loss of lives in Kerala's Palakkad bus crash incident and announced Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia each from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of the deceased.

The Prime Minister also extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for a quick recovery of the injured.

"PM Narendra Modi has expressed grief on the loss of lives due to an accident in Kerala's Palakkad district. He extends condolences to the bereaved families and prays for a quick recovery of the injured," Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a tweet.

"Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs 50,000," it added. Nine people were killed and 38 others were injured after a tourist bus carrying students crashed into a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus at Mangalam near Vadakkenchery area of Palakkad, Kerala minister M B Rajesh said on Thursday.

The horrific road accident occurred after the tourist bus rear-ended into the KSRTC bus. The tourist bus carrying students and teachers of the Baselios Vidhyanikethan School was headed to Ooty from Ernakulam, while the KSRTC bus was on its way to Coimbatore.

The deceased include five students, one teacher and three passengers from the KSRTC bus. A total of 38 people have been admitted to the hospital.

"Five people sustained serious injuries but they are said to be out of danger," Rajesh said. Further details are awaited. Earlier, a tyre burst in the middle of Mumbai's Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) in the early hours of Wednesday resulted in a crash and pile-up that left five people dead and eight injured.

Among the dead were an ambulance driver and the staff at the BWSL toll naka. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi offered condolences for the loss of lives in the car accident on Mumbai's Bandra-Worli Sea Link road.

"Pained by the loss of lives due to an accident on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. Condolences to the bereaved families. I hope that those who have been injured have a speedy recovery," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted on Wednesday.