Rare Accident: Double-Decker Bus Crashes On Video, But How?
In February this year, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) launched a budget tourism project in Munnar. The department rolled out a double-decker bus, which would give tourists a better view of the place’s breathtaking landscapes. Called ‘Munnar Royal View’, this bus soon rose to acceptance. Tourists loved the idea, and the project soon started generating revenue as well. The bus recently met with an accident near Irachilpara in Devikulam. Netizens soon started talking about the incident. According to media reports, the bus driver said initially that he lost control of the vehicle trying to evade an oncoming car. Visuals from a nearby CCTV have now shattered these claims...
This accident happened on September 12, 2025, at around 3 pm on the Munnar-Bodimettu stretch. It was going from Anayirankal to Munnar. The ‘Munnar Royal View’ has four services a day in the Munnar-Devikulam route.
It lost control while negotiating a sharp turn and rammed into a waiting shed and an embankment nearby. It had 45 people on board- 38 on the upper deck and seven on the lower deck. The vehicle’s front end took significant damage in the incident. No one was reportedly injured in the mishap.
After the accident, the passengers were transferred to another bus and taken to Munnar. The bus was then moved to the workshop for repairs.
Footage secured from a nearby CCTV camera has revealed new, interesting details of the crash. It dismisses the driver’s claim of ‘dodging a fast, oncoming car’ completely. No such car can be seen in the visuals.
It, however, shows another bus, coming from the opposite direction, moments before the double-decker ended up crashing. It was, however, being driven safely, keeping the left lane. The driver of this vehicle cannot be blamed for the incident.
Image source: Jomon George
The CCTV footage shows the double-decker to have missed the turn, and shows it driving straight. It is, however, moving slowly- something which helped it stop safely and kept the impact minimal. If it were faster, crashing into the embankment may have even caused it to overturn.
The video cites driver error as the reason for the crash. The driver may have dozed off or been distracted at the time, eventually leading to a complete loss of control.
When KSRTC first announced the project, many raised concerns about the safety and fitness of the bus. With its double-decker layout, this vehicle definitely had a higher centre of Gravity than normal buses.
The patch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway on which it was deployed has sharp twists and gradients. Driving this vehicle on such a patch indeed raised questions around possible safety compromises.
Netizens soon started discussing the project and the ‘Munnar Royal View’. It definitely looked photogenic, and the viewing experience from the upper deck was phenomenal. However, factors like the mass centralisation and center of gravity scared people. Some even said that it is a ‘Disaster waiting to happen’
In general, double-decker coaches are not recommended for mountainous terrains and ghat roads, due to the potential risk of overturning. As they stand tall, double-decker coaches can overturn even while negotiating a horizontal curve, if carrying enough momentum. The risk only goes up on ghat sections.
Several cases of double-decker buses losing control and causing death and injuries have been reported in different parts of the world. All these only added to fears around the double-decker service in Munnar. The Irachilpara accident has fuelled fresh discussions around the safety of this service.