17 people from TN injured as their mini bus hits stationary truck on NH 66 near Kapu
Kapu: In a road accident that occurred on National Highway 66 early Sunday morning, 17 people from Tamil Nadu, who were visiting the religious centres here, were injured in a collision between their mini bus and a truck parked by the road at Udyavara of Udupi district.
The group was traveling from Mangaluru to the Kollur Mookambika Temple when their mini bus rammed into the stationary truck from behind. While 17 passengers in the mini bus were injured in the accident, the health condition of four of them was found to be serious, police sources have said.
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Also, the bus was heavily damaged in front, due to the impact of the collision, they said.
Kapu Police, who visited the accident spot, conducted an inspection. The injured travelers were taken to a private hospital in Udupi with the help of passersby.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
