At least 20 injured as bus carrying wedding party crashes into fuel station in Keralam's Koothattukulam

Thirty‑five passengers of a wedding party aboard a tourist bus had a providential escape when the driver, having lost control of the vehicle, crashed into a fuel station and toppled beside it at Kakkoor in Koothattukulam, on the eastern suburbs of Ernakulam district, Kerala, on Thursday (August 27, 2026) morning.

The accident along the busy Koothattukulam–Piravom road left 20 passengers injured, though all were reported to be stable. Local residents rushed to the site, rescuing those trapped inside the bus and arranging ambulances to shift the injured to three nearby private hospitals in Koothattukulam.

The bus was headed to Ilanji from Piravom when the mishap occurred. CCTV footage showed the bus suddenly swerving to the right to avoid hitting a two‑wheeler rider who was seen carelessly crossing into the petrol pump. Police said the rider failed to use indicators or check his side mirror for approaching vehicles. His scooter was struck by the tail end of the bus as it crashed into the fuel station.

According to police, the driver probably applied a sudden brake to avoid the scooter, lost control, and the bus turned on its side before sliding into the fuel station premises. A major disaster was narrowly averted as the bus rammed into the concrete barrier of the fuel pump, sparing the dispensers and a car refuelling nearby. Another two‑wheeler rider escaped miraculously as the falling bus missed him by inches.

The police are probing the sequence of events, even as local residents accused the driver of overspeeding. CCTV footage from junctions leading to the accident spot will be examined to verify the allegation, officials said.