CHENNAI: Clutching his chest in severe pain, a bus driver saved 30 passengers by steering the bus to the side of a busy road before collapsing and dying of a heart attack on the steering wheel near suburban Nerkundram.

L Ramesh (55) suffered a heart attack while driving the state transport corporation bus from Tirupattur in Vellore district to Chennai early on Monday.

Writhing in pain, he alerted the conductor and managed to take the bus to the side of the road before collapsing on the steering wheel, transport department officials said.

He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced brought dead, following a massive heart attack.

The conductor and other passengers said the driver had shown great presence of mind in steering the bus to safety even while he was experiencing severe pain