A spine-chilling video captured by a motor vlogger’s helmet camera has surfaced online, showing the dramatic moments following a road accident on the Varaha River Bridge near Vikravandi in Tamil Nadu’s Villupuram district on Friday night.
The footage shows a private bus reduced to mangled wreckage, with several passengers trapped inside, moments after the crash. The vlogger, who was riding along the Chennai–Trichy National Highway, pulled over after noticing the damaged bus precariously positioned on the bridge. Soon, other motorists and local residents rushed in to help rescue those stuck inside.
According to police, the bus was speeding across the Varaha Nadi Bridge when the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to skid and smash into the bridge’s retaining wall. The impact broke part of the barrier, leaving nearly half of the bus hanging mid-air. There was an imminent risk of the vehicle plunging into the river below, but a major tragedy was narrowly avoided as the bus got wedged between the iron girders and the parapet.
Officials said 23 passengers were travelling in the bus at the time of the accident. Thanks to the swift response of passersby, rescue personnel and police, all passengers were safely evacuated. Thirteen people sustained injuries, though none were reported to be critical. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
The accident caused panic in the area and led to heavy traffic congestion on the Chennai–Trichy National Highway. Police diverted vehicles while cranes and rescue teams worked to remove the damaged bus and restore normal traffic flow.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident and have urged motorists to maintain speed limits, especially on bridges and highways at night.
