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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Bus accident at Gemini Fly over – Anna Salai - Chennai


  
Today [27th June 2012] around 0200 pm,  a bus has reportedly fallen from the Anna Fly over [Gemini bridge] – there has been traffic jams and ambulances are seen trying to reach the place.

Anna Salai, formerly known as Mount Road,  is the major arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George and ends at the Kathipara Junction in Guindy.  With the roadwork for Metro Rail and work for railway station, major part of the road has been made one-way recently.

Anna Flyover (Tamil: அண்ணா மேம்பாலம்), also known as Gemini Flyover, is a dual-armed flyover in the central business district of Chennai, India. Built by East Coast Construction and Industries in 1973, it is the first flyover in Chennai.  Decades ago, there was the  Gemini Studios, after which the bridge was known as Gemini Flyover before renamed after the former CM of the State.   

In the recent past, there have not been any major accidents.. from Dinamalar read that around 0200 pm today Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus in route 17B plying from Broadway to Mangadu met with an accident on the bridge – some reports state that the bus while trying to enter the service lane for getting down towards Nungambakkam High Road, fell down.  Dinamalar reports that 12 had grievous injuries and have been admitted into hospital.  The actual position is not yet clear.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar @ 14.40 hrs


As reported in Dinakaran website - http://dinakaran.com/News_Detail.asp?Nid=17286



சென்னை: சென்னையில் உள்ள அண்ணா மேம்பாலத்திலிருந்து, பேருந்து கவிழ்ந்து விபத்துக்குள்ளாகியுள்ளது. வடபழனியிலிருந்து பாரிமுனை நோக்கி சென்றுக் கொண்டிருந்த, 17எம் பேருந்து கவிழ்ந்து விபத்துக்குள்ளாகியுள்ளது. இதில் பேருந்தில் பயணம் செய்த 30பேர், காயம் அடைந்துள்ளதாக தகவல்கள் தெரிவிக்கின்றன. காயமடைந்தவர்கள் ராயப்பேட்டை அரசு மருத்துவமனையில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர். மேலும் சாலையில் அரசுப் பேருந்து கவிழ்ந்து கிடப்பதால், அப்பகுதியில் போக்குவரத்து முடங்கியுள்ளது. விபத்தில் கவிழ்ந்த பேருந்தை மீட்கும் பணியில், காவல்துறையினர் மற்றும் தீயணைப்பு படையினர் தீவிரமாக ஈடுபட்டுள்ளனர். 


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



Update at 16.30 hrs



The accident spot was quickly cardoned off by the Police with some help by volunteers.



Within an hour, the Fly over was open to traffic – the place where bus had fallen down was not allowed to public for some time.  Ambulances rushed and ferried injured to nearby hospitals.   Cranes and rescue vehicles lifted the bus from the scene and  by around 04.15 pm, the bus was seen pulled away from the scene by a rescue van.



From the looks, it appeared that the bus might not have fallen from any great height and pray that there are only injuries to travellers…..

Regards – S. Sampathkumar
 Traffic flowing at Anna flyover from thousandlights side @ 03.30 pm

 The place where the vehicle had fallen
This is the vehicle – being towed away


this photo sent by a friend portrays damage of bigger magnitude though



-         Added after watching local TV channels’ coverage on the accident’
At times, the media and people try to sensationalise even the suffering of others.  The exact cause of the accident is not known, and there are theories floating around from ‘driver speaking on mobile phone’; negligence, vehicle not fit, and more….
Some good things observed are :
§      The Police and Fire Service arrived reasonably immediately after the accident
§      Public volunteered help
§      Fortunately the bus was not fully crowded as it was mid day
§     Fortunately no other vehicle was involved – the bus did not fall on any other vehicle
§      Injured were rushed to accident
§   A TV news report showed Apollo Hospitals staff fully prepared to receive the injured passengers
§   It was stated that more than 10 ambulance of Apollo and some from the Govt hospitals were pressed in to service
§    Apollo Hospitals Chairman Dr Pratap Reddy  was shown as saying that "of the 28 passengers admitted, only one is critical with multiple rib injuries, others suffered just mild injuries".
§      A Doctor of the Royapettah Hospital stated that the no. of persons who came there were less than 10 and none were seriously injured.
§      There was a report that Apollo did not charge anything to the injured
§      Ministers, Mayor and many others visited the scene of accident and also visited those undergoing treatment at the hospitals.
Traffic was allowed in less than hours time on the Gemini flyover, which otherwise could have paralysed Chennai.  The access roads were sealed and rescue operations were undertaken in full swing.  Eventually, the bus could be seen towed away from the scene in less than 2 hours.
Accidents do occur and the cause should be investigated to ensure that they do not recur.  However, the swift response of the officials and Police need to be commended

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.


16 comments:

  1. சாலை விதி அப்டின்னா என்ன விலை-னு கேக்குறாங்க சென்னை ல....அதுல யாருக்கும் ஒன்னும் ஆகல னு தெரிஞ்சதும் கொஞ்சம் சந்தோசம்...என்ன வண்டி ஓட்டுறானுக பன்னிப் பயலுக, 12'B ஓட்டுற ஒருத்தன் பயணிகள் எல்லாரும் வெளியில போய் விழுகுற மாதிரி ஓட்டுரான் வெண்ண...பொது மக்கள் உயிர்ன்னா அவ்லோ கேவலமா போச்சு அவனுகளுக்கு.....

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  2. What is the real cause for this accident??? bit.ly/N1gIF2

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  3. Dear Srinivasan:

    Mount Road is not an abbreviated form of Lord Mountbatten. It is so named because it is the road that leads to St. Thomas Mount, which has been in existence since before the British arrival into India.

    Sincerely,

    Dr. B. Ramachandran
    Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital
    mdpicu@hotmail.com

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  4. Dear Dr Ramachandran

    Thanks. Have changed the relevant portion

    Regards - S. Sampathkumar

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  6. It isn't 17b its 17M cut leading from Broadway to Vadapalani.
    The news goes here

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  7. thanks for sharing sampathkumar..

    regards
    chennaimuthu.in

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  8. Sampath-ji
    The creative mind of the media people need to be appreciated. The reason for the accident was due to 'driver talking over mobile', 'collapse of the driver seat', 'driver under intoxication', 'improper maintenance of buses', ' over speeding', 'reckless driver-could not be controlled since he is a union office-bearer'. etc. etc. if we believe the news channels..
    regards
    kannan

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  9. Sir very neatly described without being negative or being sensational -hats off - Priya

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  10. have travelled in this bridge on bus and have driven two wheeler - now spine chilling - good write up - Pushpa

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  11. So in the end whose fault and what was achieved by the enquiry - anyone punished or only eye wash - Gautam

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  12. Sir What happened to the enquiry - was it the fault of the driver; the vehicle........ or just those who were destined to travel in that bus - Janani

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  13. relived that this accident did not take any lives... the casaulaties are dreaded if only it had fallen on any vehicle passing down - Gomathi

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  14. நீங்க எதன் அடிப்படையில் ஓட்டுநர் செல்ஃபோனில் பேசிக்கொண்டு பேருந்தை இயக்கினார் என்பதை ஆதாரம் மற்றும் ஆவணங்களுடன் நிருபித்தால் எந்த தண்டனையும் ஏற்க தயார்(கைபேசியில் பேசிக்கொண்டு வாகனத்தை ஓட்டுவது சட்டபடி குற்றம் ஆகும் என்பது
    மோட்டர் வாகன சட்டப்படி குற்றமாகும்)
    இப்படிக்கு
    அன்பழகன் MTCஓட்டுநர்
    தொலைபேசி எண் 9445790555

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  15. அன்புள்ள திரு அன்பழகன் அவர்களே; இந்த விபத்து நடந்த உடன் சில 'மீடியா' பல காரணங்களை கட்டவிழ்த்து விட்டாலும் பல நேரில் பார்க்காதவர்கள் தங்கள் விருப்பப்படி கூறியவையே.

    நான் விபத்துக்குப் பின் நடந்த சில நல்ல நிகழ்வுகளை எழுதி இருந்தேன் . Now understand that MTC conducted a separate enquiry into the accident and placed the driver of that ill-fated bus, Mr. Prasad under suspension. “Mr. Rangaraju, a retired judge, conducted the enquiry and concluded that the driver had indulged in rash driving,” said a senior MTC official. Reports in the Press stated that MTC had dismissed that driver after the enquiry report

    With regards – S. Sampathkumar.

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