KOLLAM: Three people were killed after an autorickshaw heading to Karavaloor crashed into a bus carrying Sabarimala pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh, at Mavilai on the Anchal-Punalur hilly highway early on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Akshay, 23, auto driver from Chandamukku, of Thazhamel; Shruti Lakshmi, 16, of Karavaloor and Jyothi Lakshmi, 21, from Thazhamel.
In the collision, the autorickshaw was completely mangled, and the victims had to be extricated with difficulty.
Cousins Shruti Lakshmi and Jyothi Lakshmi were taken to a private hospital in Anchal, while Akshay’s body was shifted to Punalur Taluk Hospital. Akshay died on the spot, while the other two succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.
Shruti Lakshmi and Jyothi Lakshmi were returning to Karavaloor after dropping Akshay’s mother at the airport when the accident occurred.
Shruti Lakshmi was a Class 10 student of AMMHS, Karavaloor and Jyothi Lakshmi a final-year nursing student in Bengaluru.
Anchal police reached the spot, conducted the inquest and shifted the bodies to Paripally Medical College Hospital for postmortem examination before handing them over to the families.