BMTC bus driver dies of heart attack mid-route; conductor steps in to prevent mishap
Bengaluru, November 6: A 40-year-old BMTC bus driver died of a heart attack while driving the vehicle in the city on Wednesday, officials said.
The incident occurred at 11 am while the bus was en route from Nelamangala to Dasanapura.
A video of the incident shows that after the driver collapsed from the heart attack, the bus brushed past another Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus. The conductor quickly jumped into the driver's seat and took control of the vehicle.
According to BMTC officials, Kiran Kumar was operating vehicle number KA 57 F-4007 on route 256 M/1, during its final trip from Nelamangala to Dasanapura.
While on duty, Kumar suffered a heart attack and collapsed. In a courageous act, the conductor, Obalesh, immediately brought the vehicle to a safe halt, ensuring the safety of all passengers and preventing any accident.
Subsequently, Obalesh rushed Kumar to the nearby hospital, where doctors, after examination, confirmed that the driver had succumbed to a heart attack.
It is with great sadness that we announce the untimely demise of Kiran Kumar, a driver from Depot 40, who passed away due to a sudden heart attack on November 6. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Kiran Kumar.
"The corporation prays for the peace of his soul. Senior officials from BMTC visited the family, offering their sympathies and providing an ex-gratia payment to help with the final rites," the BMTC said in a statement.
ఆర్టీసీ బస్సు డ్రైవర్కు గుండెపోటు.. డ్రైవింగ్ సీటు పైకి దూకి అందరి ప్రాణాలు కాపాడిన కండక్టర్
— Telugu Scribe (@TeluguScribe) November 6, 2024
బెంగుళూరులో నేలమంగళ నుండి దసనాపుర వెళ్తున్న ఆర్టీసీ బస్సులో గుండెపోటుతో డ్రైవింగ్ సీట్ మీదే ప్రాణాలు విడిచిన బస్సు డ్రైవర్ కిరణ్ కుమార్.
డ్రైవర్కు గుండెపోటు రావడంతో డ్రైవింగ్ సీటు… pic.twitter.com/R53YNgpkrm
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
