KOLLAM: A 12-year-old boy who had gone missing from his home in Kollam was safely rescued thanks to the timely intervention of KSRTC bus staff.

The incident occurred in the early hours of the previous day when the boy boarded a superfast KSRTC bus from the Karunagappally stand around 2 am. The bus was operating on the Thiruvananthapuram–Thrissur route.

The boy told the conductor he was headed to Fort Kochi and purchased a ticket to Ernakulam. Conductor Jiji grew suspicious upon noticing the boy travelling alone and alerted a nearby passenger to discreetly watch over him.

He then informed the driver, Biju, and subsequently notified KSRTC authorities. Following their instructions, the police control room was also contacted.

When the bus reached Vyttila, a police team led by ASI KP Jijo from the Thevara control room intercepted the vehicle and took the boy into custody. A police investigation revealed that the boy was from Kollam.

Meanwhile, the boy’s family had already filed a missing person complaint at the Pallithottam police station in Kollam. After being informed by police, the family reached Thevara and took the boy back home.