In just 24 hours of inauguration, the new Atal Tunnel witnessed three accidents, out of which one was a new Kia Seltos. See the impact on the SUV.
Recently, we saw the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh being completed and opened to the public. It is the world’s longest highway tunnel and stands at 10,000 feet above the sea level. Further, the 9.02 kilometre tunnel reduces the travelling time between Manali and Leh by almost 4-5 hours. Many people have already planned their trips and will definitely use the tunnel for a nice trip.
However, many travellers have resorted to overspeeding and unnecessary overtaking, which has resulted in three accidents in the first 24 hours itself. No casualties reported in these accidents as of now. Among these three accidents, we came across a Kia Seltos which was involved in a very serious accident. A goods truck which was besides the Seltos suddenly lost control and fell on the car.
Also Read: Kia Seltos Has A Head-On Collision With A Tractor – See The Impressive Build Quality
We are not sure if the Seltos owner tried to take a bad cut which led to the truck losing control or it was just latter driving at high speed. There were heavy goods transported in the truck which completely crushed the Kia Seltos. However, all the passengers came out completely safe without any major injuries. There were four people present inside who had come down from Haryana to witness the tunnel.
The roof of Seltos has been crushed and further, the pillars have also been damaged. The main impact came on the driver side and that too, towards the front. As a result, the tyres have bursted and the front portion has been severely impacted. Seems like the strong build quality saved the lives of the passengers inside. This car will be treated as a total loss because the pillars have been damaged.
While the India-spec Kia Seltos has not gone through any safety rating tests, the Australian-spec model has received a full 5-star rating. It has minor structural changes and that’s why the same rating is not applied to India. Safety features onboard include six airbags, ABS with EBD, brake assist, ESP, 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, traction control and blind spot monitor.
