Brakes fail, trucker helps bus driver navigate slope

TNN
December 30, 2018

Karwar, Dec 30: When he began his day at work on Saturday, little did NWKSRTC driver K T Khanapur know that he will have to steer a bus with failed brakes and 40 odd passengers down the hairpin bends of Arbail Ghat, near Yellapur, about 80km from Karwar.

With highland on one side and a gorge on the other, passengers survived the tense moments with an unlikeliest help - Iranna, driver of the fertilizer lorry that was going in front of the bus.

The state-run NWKSRTC bus, attached to the Gadag depot, was going from Hubballi to Karwar. The vehicle, which left Yellapur bus stand by afternoon, was at normal speed. But going down the slope, Khanapur realized that the brakes have failed and the bus was gaining speed. Now, he had two challenges toface - to avoid ramming vehicles coming in the opposite direction and to control the bus from falling into the gorge.

Realising that the driver lost the control over the bus, passengers began to panic.

"We realised that the bus will fall into the gorge, which is at least 100-ft deep. All we could do was to pray," said Praveen, one of the passengers.

Khanapur, however, did not lose hope or heart. The only possible help was the fertilizer-laden truck that was going ahead of his vehicle. After swift-thinking, Khanapur steered the bus and rammed the truck, a nudge for help. After repeated knocks, truck driver Iranna got the message. Iranna took upon himself the task of navigating the brakeless bus down the four kilometre slope safely. He reduced the pace of the lorry, which, in turn, acted as a stopper, especially at sharp curves, helping Khanapur negotiate the hairpins.

The dare-devil rescue has, however, dented the front of the bus and the rear of the lorry.

Comments

Abdulla
 - 
Sunday, 30 Dec 2018

Daring Drivers and Truck Driver Iranna saved lives of Bus Passengers with his courage Hats off to Iranna 

shaji
 - 
Sunday, 30 Dec 2018

Big salute to both these drivers.  They should be awarded for saving lives of many people.  Let Govt recognise their bravery and award them handsomely.   God bless you guys. 

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coastaldigest.com news network
February 18,2020

Mangaluru, Feb 18: Within days after Kambala racer Srinivasa Gowda emerged a national hero, another Kambala racer Nishant Shetty has grabbed headlines. 

Nishant Shetty from Bajagoli Jogibettu reportedly broke Gowda’s record at the Venoor Kambala on Sunday. Shetty recorded 143m in 13.68 seconds. If calculated for 100m he clocks it in 9.51 seconds. His speed is faster than Gowda who clocked 9.55 seconds.

According to Kambala organisers, with Shetty’s feat, four participants have joined the elite club of racers who have completed the 100 metres in less than ten seconds.

They are Iruvathur Anand (9.57 secs), Akkeri Suresh Shetty (9.57 secs), Srinivas Gowda (9.55 secs) and Nishant Shetty (9.51 secs). Anand and Suresh Shetty had participated in the same Venoor Kambala where Nishant emerged first.

Kambala is an annual race held in Karnataka where people sprint 143m through paddy fields with the buffaloes. During the race, the racers try to bring the buffaloes under control by holding their reins tight and beating them, making it amply clear that the animal plays an equally important role in achieving the timing. Traditionally, it is sponsored by local Tuluva landlords and households in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

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News Network
April 24,2020

Kasaragod, Apr 24:  Stricter measures have been enforced in more places in this district, as part of intensifying efforts aimed at containing the spread of Covid19.

According to District Collector Dr Sajith Babu, the new norms of intensified lockdown would be enforced in Kumbala, Mogral-Puthur, Chemmanad, Madhur, Muliyar and Kumbala grama panchayats, being identified as new hotspots in the district.

Earlier, door-to-door police patrolling at regular intervals have been implemented in Thalankeri, Choori, Kalanad and Nellikkunnu, where more positive cases of Covid-19 has been reported.

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News Network
March 12,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 12: Deputy Commissioner Sindhu B Rupesh on Thursday said that the test reports of the 35-year-old passenger from Dubai have shown no signs of either Coronavirus (COVID-19) or H1N1.

In statement issued here Ms Rupesh said that the passenger has now been discharged from the Bantwal hospital. He has been asked to stay at home quarantined for the next 14 days.

The passenger, who had been diagnosed with fever after he arrived at the airport from Dubai on March 8, had left the Government Wenlock Hospital in the early hours of March 9 refusing to undergo tests.

Later, he was traced and admitted to the hospital in Bantwal and his throat swab samples had been sent to Viral Research Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) in Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences.

Meanwhile, throat swab samples of six patients were also found negative for COVID-19.

As many asf 49 people were under quarantine in the district of which five have completed the 28-day cycle.

All passengers arriving by international flights and those in contact with them should voluntarily report to the district health team and undergo self-quarantine for 14 days. If there were symptoms of cough, cold and fever, they should undergo tests for COVID-19. If the reports were positive for COVID-19, then they have to stay in the isolation ward of the Government Wenlock Hospital or in the seven select private hospitals for 28 days.

Screening facility at the airport has been strengthened by posting doctors from seven private medical colleges on rotation basis. These doctors would be in addition to the medical officer at the airport. An ambulance has been placed at the airport exclusively to shift people to the hospitals, she added.

The State government has issued a notification on Wednesday authorising Deputy Commissioners to get the affected admitted by force, if necessary.

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