THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Three including the driver and two lady passengers died when an autorickshaw collided head-on with a KSRTC bus at Pallichal under Nemom police station limits on Tuesday evening. The deceased were identified as auto driver Abdul Raheem, 40, of Pachalloor, Rameshwari, 65, of Manacaud and her daughter Anithakumari, 45, of Keleswaram near Peringamala.
Police said the accident occurred around 4 pm when they were passing through the vicinity of the pond located near Pallichal junction. The KSRTC bus was trying to overtake a vehicle when it hit the auto rickshaw coming from opposite direction.
The mother-daughter duo was travelling from Keleshwaram to Karakkamandapam and had boarded the auto few minutes before the accident. The front portion autorickshaw was crushed, and the driver who was trapped died on the spot. Residents and the police took them to Santhivila hospital, and all the three were declared dead upon arrival.
The bodies were taken to Medical College Hospital for the autopsy. Abdul Raheem leaves wife Rameela Beevi. Further details of the passengers were unavailable at the time of going to print. The KSRTC driver N.G. Biju of Vaikom was absconding. Police has registered a case and started the probe.
