Chennai, Oct 1 (UNI) With the recovery of a woman's body from the spot, the
toll in yesterday's bus mishap at Marapallam near Coonoor in the hilly Nilgiris
district of Tamil Nadu, rose to nine on Sunday.
Police sources said the rescue team, which were retrieving the belongings of
the tourists, who travelled in the bus, found the body of a woman on Sunday
morning.
She was identified as Padmarani (58). With this the number of deaths in the
mishap went up to nine.
It may be recalled that eight people were killed when the tourist bus they were
returning to Tenkasi after visiting various tourist spots in Udhagamandalam in
the Nilgiris district toppled and plunged in to a 50 ft gorge which negotiating a
curve in the ninth hairpin bend on the ghat section.
A total of 57 tourists and two drivers were travelling in the ill-fated bus when the
tragedy occurred.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Ma.Subramanian and Tourism Minister, K. Ramachandran,
as announced by Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, handed over an assistance of Rs 50,000
each to 32 people who suffered minor injuries in the accident and Rs one lakh each
to two persons who suffered serious injuries.
Mr. Subramanian said that a solatium of Rs two lakhs each would be handed over to
family members of the nine deceased persons.
He said 15 people, who escaped with minor injuries, were under treatment. They
were also being given psychological counselling and would be sent to their native
place after the treatment.
The Ministers also met the two seriously injured passengers and enquired with the
doctors about the treatment being given to them. They also met the survivors who
escaped with little or no injury and were housed in temporary relief camps and
enquired about their well-being.
The tourists were natives of Kadayam village in Tenkasi district and they came to
Udhagamandalam on Thursday to celebrate the extended weekend--Monday being
a public holiday for Gandhi Jayanthi--when it turned tragic, while returning home.
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