CHENNAI: Three persons were charred to death after the truck they were travelling in rammed into a stationary container lorry and went up in flames near Thandalam on the Chennai- Bengaluru National Highway early Wednesday.
Police said that around 5 am, the truck carrying chicken rammed into a stationary container lorry near Thandalam. “Due to the impact, the fuel tank burst and the truck caught fire. Three persons were trapped inside the mangled truck and could not escape. They, along with around fifty chicken that were inside the cage were charred to death,” an investigating officer said. “Due to the impact, the container overturned on the road,” he added.
The deceased were identified as driver Sahayam, 38, of Royappan Patti near Theni, cleaner Manoharan, 42, of Naidumangalam in Tiruvannamalai district and Vetrivel, 24, of Anjalvadi in Dharmapuri district.
“The truck was going from Chennai to Bengaluru. The stationary lorry driver Sankar of Perambakkam was also injured in the incident,” the officer said.
Locals alerted police. The fire and rescue services personnel doused the fire after battling for about an hour. Traffic was affected for almost two hours on the stretch due to the accident.
Police sent the bodies to government hospital at Sriperumbudur for post mortem. Sankar is undergoing treatment in a private hospital. Sriperumbudur police have registered a case for death caused due to negligent driving.
In another accident on the Chennai- Tiruchy Highway, a man aged 45 died after the car he was driving rammed into a truck at Madurantakam in Kancheepuram district.
Police said Palani along with his friend was going towards Tiruchy from Chennai. “As the car reached Madurantakam, it rammed into a truck. Palani died on the spot,” said a police source. The body was sent to Government Hospital, Chengalpattu, for post mortem. The injured is undergoing treatment at the same hospital.