Uppinangady: As many as 19 persons were injured in a serial accident on National Highway 75 at Addahole in Shiradi village in the early hours of November 23. The victims include 14 students and 5 lecturers traveling in a private bus.

The accident occurred around 1:30 AM when a private bus carrying students of St. Lawrence Pre-University College, Kamakshipalya, Bengaluru, lost control and overturned at Addahole. The students, who had embarked on a trip from Bengaluru on November 20 to visit coastal tourist spots, were returning to Bengaluru when the incident occurred.

Following the bus overturning, a KSRTC bus traveling from Bengaluru to Mangaluru collided with the private bus. Subsequently, a car traveling behind the KSRTC bus rammed into it, adding to the chaos.

Of the 43 students onboard the private bus, the injured include students Charan (16), Charith (16), Chinmay (17), Shivakumar (16), Harshiyabanu (16), Milan M. (16), Rakhi Kumari (18), Soundarya (16), Akshay S. (18), S. Chinmay (16), Yashwant K. (18), Abhishek Raj (16), Musaib (18), and Samuel (17) and lecturers Sanjeev Rathod (28), Ramesh V. (40), Prakash G. (43), Rajesh U. (41), and Roopa (26).

The injured were rushed to hospitals in Nelyadi, Puttur, and Mangaluru for treatment.

The driver of the private bus fled the scene after the accident. A case has been registered at the Uppinangady Police Station, and investigations are underway.