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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News Network
April 18,2020
Mangaluru, Apr 18: Food kits were distributed to as many as 100 needy Beary poets, writers and artistes’ on behalf of the Karnataka Beary Sahitya Academy at a simple ceremony held at the Academy office here on Friday.
 
The service initiative during the Lockdown was taken up as per the guidance of Minister for Kannada and Culture C T Ravi.
 
Dakshina Kannada District in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary distributed the kits to the beneficiaries.

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News Network
March 28,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 28: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to remove the blocking of roads including state highway along the border of Karnataka in view of lock down to contain the spread of COVID-19.

In a letter sent to the Prime Minister on Friday evening, the Chief Minister said certain actions by the Karnataka Police have resulted in the blocking the Thalassery-Coorg State Highway-30. This road connects Kerala with Coorg in Karnataka via Veerajapettah. This route is a lifeline for flow of essential commodities to Kerala."

"If this is blocked, vehicles carrying essential commodities will have to travel a much longer route to reach our state. Given the situation of national lock down, this will add much more hardship to people," it said.

"You will naturally agree with me that no action impeding the movement of essential commodities should be initiated at this moment of crisis," he hoped.

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News Network
August 7,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 7: The Karnataka government would provide Rs 10,000 immediate relief to families affected by heavy rains and flooding in districts across coastal, central and southern areas of the state, an official said on Thursday.

"Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has directed all the Deputy Commissioners in the rain-cum-flood-hit districts to provide Rs 10,000 interim relief to the affected families and Rs 5 lakh to those whose houses were completely damaged in the natural disaster," a Revenue Department official told media persons here.

As the south-west monsoon advanced and intensified, heavy and widespread rains with gusty winds have been lashing 12 of the 30 districts across the state, wreaking havoc and disrupting normal life due to flooding, landslides, lakes and ponds overflowing, and rivers and their tributaries in the spate.

"The Chief Minister also instructed the officials to make use schools, colleges and public places as relief centres to shelter the rain-cum-flood-hit families, as hostels and community halls have been converted into Covid care centres in the affected districts," said the official.

The affected districts have also been advised to conduct a survey of crop loss suffered by farmers for compensation under the centrally-sponsored Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the Weather Based Crop Insurance Schemes.

Deputy Commissioners have been told to take preventive measures to protect and provide relief to the people from heavy rains, floods and landslides in the affected districts.

"Yediyurappa also directed ministers in-charge of the districts to remain in their constituency and visit the affected areas to assess damage caused by the rains and flash floods for compensation and relief aid," noted the official.

The Chief Minister on Wednesday announced Rs 50 crore for rescue and relief operations in the affected districts across the state.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological department has issued a red alert on heavy rains in the affected districts of Kodagu, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttar Kannada in the coastal region and in Shivamoga, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan and Haveri in the Malnad region.

"Bagamandala in Kodagu district where Cauvery river springs near Talakaveri received a whopping 486 mm rain during the last 24 hours, causing flash floods and disrupting normal life as offices, shops and eateries remained shut and public transport was affected," added the official.

The water-level in Cauvery and Lakshmanatheertha is flowing at high level while the Sayi layout and Kuvempu layout Kushalnagar is inundated and the affected residents were shifted to safer location.

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