JOIN USAbout 50 passengers travelling in a state-owned bus had a narrow escape on Sunday, when a portion of Anna Salai road suddenly caved in, causing damage to a bus and a car.
The incident occurred near the site of underground tunnelling for the Metro Rail here. The passengers of the bus evacuated the vehicle after the driver raised an alarm and the car’s occupant jumped out after the earth started buckling in.
No one was injured in the incident that triggered panic among road users, even as the police cordoned off the area and diverted traffic. Incidentally, the tunnelling work had last month caused a foam leakage close to the spot where the road caved in on Sunday.
The bus was stationary at the Gemini stop and the car was passing alongside it when the road caved in. The front portions of the vehicles sank into the crater that was around four to five feet deep.
“The bus halted at the Gemini bus stop as usual and suddenly, we realised the bus was going down. Immediately, the driver alerted the passengers to evacuate,” bus conductor Ramesh said. Initially, the driver thought it was a puncture, he said.
Pradeep, the sole occupant of the car, said, “As soon as the car went in, I jumped out.” Tamil Nadu Finance Minister D Jayakumar, and top police and district officials inspected the spot.