Two killed as tourist minibus overturns in southern India

Two people died and several passengers were injured when a tourist minibus overturned in Wayanad district in southern India early Monday.

Local authorities said the accident occurred around 1:45 a.m. in the Sulthan Bathery area. The vehicle carried 15 people: 13 students, a cook and the driver. The group was returning from a sightseeing trip to Munnar.

The students were pursuing postgraduate studies at Mandya University in neighbouring Karnataka. The dead were identified as driver Ranjith and Bharath, a resident of Mysore. Both were from Karnataka, The Hindu reported.

The minibus flipped onto its roof. Residents and rescue personnel cut open the wreckage to reach people trapped inside. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals.

Police began investigating the circumstances of the accident. The initial report did not establish why the vehicle overturned or provide a complete assessment of the injured passengers' conditions.