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
February 6,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 6: The Kerala government on Wednesday said three foreign nationals were among the 2,528 people under observation in the state for the novel coronavirus infection and no new cases have been reported.

At least 93 people with minor symptoms of the virus have been lodged in isolation wards of various hospitals, state Health Minister KK Shailaja told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

India's three positive cases for the virus has been from the state's three districts of Thrissur, Alappuzha and Kasaragod.

All the three are students of China's Wuhan university, the epicentre of the virus.

"No new cases of coronavirus has been detected in the state today. At least 2,435 are under observation at home while 93 are in isolation wards at various hospital across the state," Mr Shailaja said.

The minister also said two foreigners have been quarantined in Ernakulam district and one foreign national at Thiruvananthapuram.

"The foreigner in Thiruvananthapuram has been kept at general hospital but not because he was showing symptoms but for observation as he travelled from China," an official said.

The health status of the three patients, who had tested positive for the virus, "remains satisfactory", the minister said.

After three cases were reported, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had declared the epidemic as a "state calamity" on Monday.

The health department has issued advisories to the education, tourism and the animal husbandry departments on taking precautions.

"The students, teachers, other staff members residing with families of Wuhan/China returnees who are already in home isolation should not attend classes...," an advisory issued to the education department read.

Rajan Khobragade, Principal Secretary (Health), said the health department has directed the District collectors to hold a meeting with the religious leaders of the district to create awareness during prayer meetings.

"We have directed district collectors to meet religious leaders and talk to them about the seriousness of the situation and create awareness among them and their followers on how to contain the spread of virus," the minister said.

Mr Shailaja also said the department got messages from some Kerala students studying in China, who returned to the state after the virus outbreak, that their Universities had asked them to return and attend classes.

"We have got some messages from the students that they were being recalled by the universities in China. We discussed the matter and it was decided that the centre will contact such universities and convey the message that it was not possible to send the students back to China until the epidemic was under control," the minister said.

Mr Shailaja also said even though there were no positive cases for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, the state needs to remain vigilant and reiterated the 28 days quarantine period for those returning from China.

Of the 2,528 people under observation, the maximum number is from Malappuram (383), followed by Ernakulam (333), Kozhikode (306) and Thrissur (241).

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News Network
February 29,2020

Kochi, Feb 29: A 36-year-old man admitted to a government hospital here died early on Saturday due to high fever, health officials said.

The test results of blood samples of the man admitted to the isolation ward of the Coronavirus patients at Kalamassery Medical College hospital had confirmed that he was not infected with the deadly virus, doctors said.

He had been suffering from pneumonia for last five days, they said.

He was a diabetic too. His end came at 12.30 am due to multi organ failure, they said.

Medical authorities said his samples have been sent for detailed examination at the NiV lab at Alappuzha and awaiting the results.

The man from Kannur district had returned from Malaysia on Friday with high fever and breathing problem.

He was referred to the hospital after he was diagnosed with serious health issues during a thermal screening for Coronavirus at the international airport here upon his arrival from Malaysia, they said.

Doctors had said the health condition of the patient was not satisfactory.

Ernakulam District Collector S Suhas had visited the patient at the hospital on Friday, officials said.

Kerala had reported India's three Coronavirus cases but all three had been discharged from the hospitals marking their recovery of all three cases of infection in India reported from Kerala.

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News Network
April 1,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 1: The Opposition Congress leader in the Karnataka Assembly, and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has appealed the party legislators and MPs to contribute a minimum rupees one lakh each, towards the KPCC's Corona relief fund.

In a statement, here on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah had stated that the COVID-19 disease had created a havoc among the people of the state, and had thrown thousands of people jobless and struggling to get access to the food grains as well as to medical aid.

The people of the state, who had battered from the unprecedented rains and floods recently, had to face another daunting challenge of the spread of COVID-19 virus across the state.

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