Bengaluru | Two men were killed and 24 passengers injured after a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation bus was involved in an accident on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway on Saturday morning, police said.

The accident occurred in the Bidadi area of the expressway, they said.

The deceased were identified as Arun N M, the driver, and Midilesh K, the conductor of the KSRTC bus from Kozhikode, police said.

The driver and conductor succumbed to their injuries, while the injured passengers were shifted to nearby hospitals, where they were stated to be in stable condition, a senior police officer said.

According to a preliminary investigation, the driver may have dozed off while driving when the bus reached Avaragere Gate, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.

The bus then veered to the left and crashed into a large roadside signboard installed along the expressway, he said.

The impact caused the bus to overturn on the road, he added.

Traffic on the busy expressway was disrupted briefly following the accident. A case has been registered, police said, adding that further investigation was underway.

Earlier, we reported that 14 passengers were injured. The number has now risen to 24.