KOLLAM: One died and two others were left critically injured on Wednesday morning after a bus carrying Sabarimala pilgrims collided with a lorry and plunged 30 meters into a gorge along the National Highway near Aryankavu

The deceased, identified as Dhanapalan from Salem, Tamil Nadu, was among 24 passengers onboard. Eighteen others sustained injuries, with 16 admitted to Punalur Taluk Hospital.

Two critically injured passengers, Senthil,13 and Dileep Kumar 44, were shifted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment in the ICU.

The accident occurred at 4:15 am when a lorry, coming from Kottavasal to Thenmala, collided with the bus returning to Tamil Nadu from Sabarimala. The impact caused the private bus to veer off the road and plunge into a dry riverbed.

Residents and police quickly initiated rescue efforts, shifting the injured to the hospital. Dhanapalan was declared dead on arrival, and his body was shifted to the mortuary at Punalur Taluk Hospital.

According to the panchayat, the site of the crash is known for frequent accidents.

“This is an accident-prone area. We had previously urged authorities to station an ambulance here due to the frequency of such incidents,” said Suja Thomas, President of the Aryankavu Panchayat.