Five MBBS students were killed and six other critically injured on Monday night after their car collided with a KSRTC bus.
The Regional Transport Officer said one of the reasons for the accident was the heavy rain during the night. Overloading of the vehicle, which had 11 occupants at the time of the accident, was said to be another cause of the collision.
The five first-year MBBS students killed in the accident were Ayush Shaji, Devananthan, Mohammed Abdul Jabbar, PP Mohammed Ibrahim and Sreedev Valson. All of them were 19 years old were students of TD Medical College in Vandanam.
The accident happened around 9.30 pm on Monday when the car coming from Vandanam swerved to the right and hit the Guruvayur-Kayamkulam Fast Passenger bus. The car was crushed under the bus and the mangled remains had to be cut open to rescue the survivors.
Three of the students died on the spot, while the two others breathed their last on the way to hospital.
The bus conductor claimed the car was speeding before the collision. The driver of the bus said the car was overtaking another vehicle when it swerved to the right and hit the bus.