KOOTHATTUKULAM: A tourist bus carrying around 35 members of a wedding party overturned after crashing into the premises of a petrol pump at Kakkoor on the Koothattukulam-Piravom Road on Thursday morning.According to police, the accident occurred around 10.25am when the bus was travelling from Piravom to Elanji. The driver allegedly swerved sharply to the right to avoid a two-wheeler that suddenly turned without giving a signal. Although he applied the brakes, the bus reportedly went out of control and overturned near the fuel dispensing area.Around 20 passengers sustained injuries and were taken to three private hospitals in Koothattukulam.

Police said none of the injuries appeared to be serious.

Police and local residents said the bus overturned after hitting a small concrete pillar near the petrol pump. It narrowly missed the fuel dispensers, a car that had stopped for refuelling and another two-wheeler. A collision with the fuel dispensers could have potentially triggered a major fire.Locals and rescue workers rushed to the spot, pulled passengers trapped inside the overturned bus to safety and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals.

A man who was sitting on a two-wheeler after refuelling also had a narrow escape.Koothattukulam police have launched an investigation and are examining CCTV footage from the area to determine whether the bus was speeding and establish the exact sequence of events.