Thiruvananthapuram ∙ On October 22, 1998, emergency doors were made mandatory on buses after a private Ainkomp bus traveling from Kottayam Pala to Thodupuzha met with an accident at the sixth mile and 22 people lost their lives. As 19 of those who died that day were women, women’s seats were moved to the back of the bus. After women’s objection, the seat was moved to the front.
The disaster was made worse by the fact that someone had taken petrol in the bus which had an accident. Following this, a petrol pump was allowed in Kollapally. 34 people were injured in the accident. The Ainkombe disaster was one of the biggest bus accidents in the state. The accident happened in front of the bus waiting center at 11.30 in the morning.
After hitting the telephone pole on the left side of the road, the bus overturned and caught fire. 16 people died on the spot. Later, it was found that the cause of the accident was the petrol that was stored in Kansas inside the bus. A small child also died in the accident. Many people were severely burned and sought treatment. Many of the bodies were identified after days.
Later there were detailed investigations and legal proceedings regarding the causes of the disaster etc. The case went on in court for 15 years. The government has distributed aid and compensation to the dependents of the dead and the injured. As none of the owners came to collect the ornaments of the dead, they were kept for a long time and then confiscated by the government. There was more than 100 grams of gold and four times as much silver jewellery.
An investigation conducted by the then Motor Transport Commissioner KJ Joseph found that the cause of the accident was the driver’s inexperience and carelessness. Although it had been six years since he got his driving licence, he mostly worked as a conductor. Just 12 days before the accident, he went to work in the bus where the accident happened. The report stated that fuel was kept in the driver’s cabin as a reason for the accident.
English Summary: Aikombu Bus Accident Tragedy
