Two die after BMTC bus crashes into two-wheeler in Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 27 (PTI): Two men on a motorcycle died after a BMTC bus crashed into and ran over their two-wheeler on Old Airport Road, police said on Thursday.
The deceased have been identified as Tapas (33), a Rapido rider, and Aditya Bose (31), the pillion rider. Both were natives of West Bengal, they said.
The bus driver, who fled the scene after the accident, has been taken into custody, while efforts are underway to nab the conductor in connection with the incident, they added.
According to a statement from Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), the accident occurred at 10.33 pm on Wednesday near the ISRO Signal on HAL Main Road, Bengaluru. The electric bus was en route from Kempegowda Bus Station to Kadugodi.
A private car was also involved in the collision, the statement said.
Citing preliminary investigations, a BMTC official stated that a review of CCTV footage indicated that the two-wheeler attempted to overtake the bus near the ISRO Signal. In the process, it collided with an oncoming car.
Due to the impact, the riders lost control and fell under the rear wheel of the BMTC bus.
"Tragically, both individuals on the two-wheeler succumbed to their injuries at the scene," the official said.
"BMTC deeply mourns this unfortunate loss of life and extends heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. The corporation remains committed to ensuring road safety and will continue working with relevant authorities to prevent such incidents in the future," the statement added.
A case has been registered and a formal investigation is underway, police said.
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Delhi-bound Air India flight carrying MPs diverted due to snag, Venugopal says it was 'harrowing'
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader and Chairman of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee K C Venugopal has claimed that an Air India flight carrying him and several other MPs from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi "came frighteningly close to tragedy".
In a statement, the airline said that Air India flight AI2455, flying from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, was diverted to Chennai on Sunday evening due to a technical issue.
In a post on X on Sunday night, Venugopal said, "Air India flight AI 2455 from Trivandrum to Delhi -- carrying myself, several MPs and hundreds of passengers -- came frighteningly close to tragedy today."
"What began as a delayed departure turned into a harrowing journey. Shortly after take-off, we were hit by unprecedented turbulence. About an hour later, the Captain announced a flight signal fault and diverted to Chennai...
"For nearly two hours, we circled the airport awaiting clearance to land, until a heart-stopping moment during our first attempt -- another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway. In that split second, the Captain's quick decision to pull up saved every life on board. The flight landed safely on the second attempt," he said.
"We were saved by skill and luck. Passenger safety cannot depend on luck. I urge @DGCAIndia and @MoCA_GoI to investigate this incident urgently, fix accountability, and ensure such lapses never happen again," the Congress leader wrote.
Responding to Venugopal on X, Air India said, "We would like to clarify that the diversion to Chennai was precautionary due to a suspected technical issue and poor weather conditions."
"A go-around was instructed by Chennai ATC (air traffic control) during the first attempted landing at Chennai airport, not because of the presence of another aircraft on the runway ... Our pilots are well-trained to handle such situations, and in this case, they followed standard procedures throughout the flight," Air India claimed.
"We understand that such an experience can be unsettling and regret the inconvenience the diversion may have caused to you. However, safety is always our priority," the airline added.
The flight AI2455, operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, was airborne for more than two hours, according to information available on the flight tracking website Flightradar24.com.
"The flight crew of AI2455 operating from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi on August 10 made a precautionary diversion to Chennai due to a suspected technical issue and given the weather conditions en route," the airline said in a statement earlier.
Air India said the flight landed safely in Chennai, where the aircraft will undergo the necessary checks.
Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destinations at the earliest, Air India said, and regretted the inconvenience caused.
Details about the number of passengers were not available.
The flight took off a little past 8 pm from Thiruvananthapuram and landed in Chennai at around 10.35 pm, according to Flightradar24.com.
In recent weeks, there have been instances of Air India's aircraft facing technical snags.
