7 killed in Tamil Nadu bus accident

Chennai, Jan 20: Seven people, including a boy and a girl, were killed and more than 30 others injured on Tuesday when a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus plunged into a gorge in Dharmapuri district, police said.

"Seven people lost their lives and 38 injured people have been admitted in government hospitals after a bus fell into the gorge in Hogenakkal. All the injured passengers have been rescued," a police official told IANS over phone from the accident spot.

The accident took place at 1.10 p.m. in Hogenakkal, around 340 km from here, the official said.

He said the condition of some of the injured was critical, and many passengers suffered fracture.

Expressing condolence over the deaths, PMK founder S. Ramadoss said in a statement that badly maintained buses were plying in Dharmapuri region.

He said the accident took place due to carelessness of transport corporation officials.

IANS