Man dies after falling off footboard of bus in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: A 31-year-old man died after falling off a crowded bus on the Lawley Road in Coimbatore on Wednesday morning.

Police identified the deceased as Manikandan R, who was vendor at the Flower Market in the city.

He boarded a bus around 8am from the Velandipalayam bus stop. The bus was going to Gandhipuram from Anaikatti.

"The bus was crowded and Manikandan was standing on the footboard," said an officer in the traffic investigation wing, west zone.

Around 8.15am, while the bus was passing the Lawley Road Junction, the driver applied the brake suddenly, and in the jerk, Manikandan was thrown off the bus. His head hit the tar road, and he suffered serious injuries.

"He was taken to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital. Despite treatment, he succumbed to his injuries at 10.35am," the officer said.

The body was handed over to his family members after postmortem.

This is the second such incident in the west zone of the city this year. "The previous incident occurred near Kurichi Kulam and in that case too, the deceased was travelling on the footboard," said the officer.