CHENNAI: Two women were killed and nine others sustained injuries after a van carrying employees of a private factory overturned after the driver swerved to avoid a stray cow and the vehicle collided with an MTC bus near Payanur on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) around 5 am on Friday.
The deceased were identified as S Jayalakshmi (40) of Koovathur and P Durgalakshmi (34) of Thirukazhukundram. While one of the injured, a 25-year-old woman who sustained head injuries, remains critical, the others are stable. The bodies were taken to Chengalpattu Government Hospital for postmortem, and the injured were sent to Poonjeri Government Hospital for treatment.
According to Mamallapuram police, the van was carrying 20 women employees of a factory near Kelambakkam from Payanur towards Kelambakkam when the accident occurred. The driver lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid the cow, which suddenly crossed the road. The van went across to the opposite side of the road and collided with an MTC bus travelling from Thiruporur towards Mamallapuram, before overturning into a roadside ditch.
Local residents, along with police and fire and rescue personnel, took part in the rescue operations. The van driver allegedly fled the scene after the accident, and police are searching for him. A case has been registered. Traffic on OMR was disrupted for nearly an hour following the accident.