Bantwal: Following an accident that took place at Bollukal near Mani here on Thursday, September 17, a bus was gutted in a fire.

The private bus plying from Uppinangady to Mangaluru collided with a bike coming from Mani, following which the bike got stuck under the bus. The bike’s petrol tank burst and the bus caught fire.

Bike rider, identified as Chetan Gowda (28), a resident near Uppinangady was critically injured in the incident and taken to a hospital in Mangaluru. The passengers of the bus had a narrow escaped as all of them managed to evacuate the vehicle just in time.

It is said that speeding and recklessness caused the accident. Bantwal fire service rushed to the spot and managed to douse the fire after some efforts. The bus was completely charred.

Traffic was affected for some time and some of the vehicles were diverted. Bantwal circle inspector Beliappa and team arrived at the spot and restored the traffic.