KSRTC bus rams Sakthan Thampuran statue in Thrissur, topples it

The statue of Sakthan Thampuran, considered the architect of Thrissur city, situated at Sakthan Nagar in the city, collapsed after a KSRTC low-floor bus rammed it in the wee hours on Sunday.

The statue of Sakthan Thampuran, considered the architect of Thrissur city, situated at Sakthan Nagar in the city, collapsed after a KSRTC low-floor bus rammed it in the wee hours on Sunday.

The bus, which reportedly tried to avoid hitting another bus, hit the iron fencing around the statue first before hitting it. The statue collapsed in the impact of the accident.

Three passengers in the bus, which was going from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode, suffered minor injuries.

Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar has promised to reinstall the statue at the expense of the KSRTC, said Revenue Minister K. Rajan, who visited the statue. Discussions will be held with the sculptor of the statue and will take steps for re-installation. The reason for the accident will be studied scientifically, he added.

The Minister also asked the Corporation to take security measures, including installing reflectors, around the statue. P. Balachandran, MLA, accompanied the Minister.