TIRUCHY: In a gruesome accident, where involving multiple vehicles including a private engineering college bus, five including four women died on the spot and 15 others including a 11-month-old baby injured near Tiruchy on Thursday.
According to police sources, S Chandrasekar (31) of Kamaraj Nagar in Thathagapatti in Salem district had started in the early morning on Thursday to Thirukkadaiyur, a pilgrimage spot to solemnize 'Arubatham Kalyanam' (a ritual performed for the couple who completes 60 years) to his parents A Selvam (60) and S Maheswari. They were travelling in a tempo traveller where S Ramarajan (30) was on the wheels.
Chandrasekar's wife C Anitha (28), their daughter C Swasa (11 months) and their relatives S Sheela (55), M Tharani (45), R Meheshwari (40) , Matheshwaran (25), M Sudharsan (22), S Venkateshbabu (39), S Bavya (26), R Gopalakrishnan (65) were also accompanied by them. While the tempo was approaching Manjakarai near Aamur on Tiruchy - Salem highways, the driver of a car that was proceeding to Nagore in Nagapattinam district from Salem had attempted to overtake the tempo traveller, had led to a collision against a private engineering college bus that was coming ahead and was on the way to college.
After a sudden collision with the bus, the driver of that car had turned the vehicle on the left side and had hit the tempo. In the impact, the tempo traveller was thrown away into a canal along the road and left four women who were travelling on the tempo and the driver Ramarajan succumbed to their injuries on the spot.
In this incident, Haja Sherif (30), his wife H Mazootha (27), their children Nisha and Yasin who were travelling on the car proceeding to Nagore were sustained minor injuries. Five more others accompanying by them escaped unhurt. They were on the way to Nagore to participate the famous Kanthoori festival.
Meanwhile, the occupants of college bus V Vinothraj (18), first year diploma student from Vathalai, J Kogulakrishnan (19), second year mechanical student from Siruganur, M Narmatha (23), first year BEd student from Siruganur, Prashanth, first year mecnanical engineering student and Harish, a first year diplomo student were also injured. Of them Narmatha sustained severe head injuries, police said.
Police are on to establish the identity of the deceased. Vathalai police registered a case and are investigating.