Chennai: In a freak accident, two Metropolitan Transport Corporation employees were crushed to death and six others injured when a MTC bus ran into a room and caused its wall to collapse in the Vadapalani bus depot in the small hours on Sunday. One among the deceased was married just this month.
The incident, which took place at around Saturday midnight, sent shock wave among the passengers and MTC employees. A large number of MTC employees staged an agitation demanding proper protection and security to the crew. Meanwhile, Secretary, Transport Department J. Radhakrishnan visited the accident spot and the hospital where the injured employees have been admitted.
According to sources, several technicians were engaged in working at the Vadapalani Depot, located adjacent to the bus terminus. A few were sleeping in the resting room in the Depot. Balamurugan, 38, was driving a MTC bus route 17 E (TN01N4583) when he lost control and the bus halted only after ramming against the wall of the resting room. In the impact, the resting room wall collapsed and eight staffers were trapped in the debris. The Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Service Personnel rushed to the spot and cleared the debris. The police had cordoned off the area and when the debris was cleared.
Bharati, 30 of Kattusithamur, Villupuram district and Sekar, 48 of Saligram, Masilamani, 49 of Tiruvarur, Thangavel, 41 of Kodambakkam, Yuvaraj, 43 of Ayanavaram, Pattusamy, 38 of Melmalayanur Balamurugan, 37, of Marasingapettai, Villupuram and Kalisa 47 of Vandavasi were rescued from the debris. They were rushed to Kilpauk Government Medical College hospital. Bharati and Sekar died on way to hospital.
Hearing of the mishap, a group of employees assembled at the spot and staged protest demanding adequate protection to safeguard the employees in their workplace. The crew members of the depot did not operate buses for a few hours demanding a proper resting room and other facilities for the employees and technical staff. After the intervention of police, the employees withdrew the protest and returned to work. Trade union leaders have demanded that the government provide employment opportunities to family members of the deceased.
B. Amutha, wife of Bharathi, who visited the spot, was crying profusely. She said “We were married only 24 days ago. Bharathi sought leave for a month for the wedding. However, the management rejected his plea and granted leave only for a week. A day after the wedding he returned to work. She said "if the management had given him leave for a month, he would have been alive now.”
Transport Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan, who visited the spot, said safety measures in all the 32 depots in the city would be reviewed and steps taken to renovate 16 of them. He said necessary assistance would be given to the families of the deceased and the injured.
Meanwhile, South Chennai Lok Sabha member Thamizhachi Thangapandian said for the past several years, buses have not been maintained properly during the AIADMK rule.
