THOOTHUKUDI: Four persons died and nine others got injured in a road accident that occurred at the Mathavalayam diversion (layam diversion) in Nagercoil on Friday morning. Among the nine injured, three persons belong to Kerala. The victims were folk artists returning home after an event in Tiruchendur.
Upon hearing the incident, CM MK Stalin announced Rs 2 lakh solatium for the bereaved families and Rs 50,000 for those who sustained injuries. According to sources, the group of folk artists hailing from Kanniyakumari and Neyyattinkara in Kerala, was returning home from Tiruchendur when the vehicle they were travelling in hit head-on against a TNSTC town bus at the layam diversion near Vellamadam on the Nagercoil-Tirunelveli road. Four persons, including driver R Kannan (23) of Arumanai Sitharal, died on the spot. The other three deceased were identified as S Sujith (22) of Ambangalai Thiruvarampu, R Sathish (37) of Thiruvithankodu, and B Abishek (22) of Arumanai, sources added.
The vehicle was totaled in the accident, which also left nine persons, including a six-year-old, injured. Aralvaimozhi police and fire and safety personnel arrived at the spot to rescue the victims and shifted the injured persons to the Asaripallam government medical college hospital. Meanwhile, the incident caused a heavy traffic jam on the route.
Milk and dairy development Minister T Mano Thangaraj condoled the death and visited those under treatment at the government medical college hospital, in the presence of Kanniyakumari District Collector P N Sridhar and Superintendent of Police Hari Kiran Prasath. The injured persons include S Ajitha (37) of Neyyattinkara, R Nithish (18) of Ambakalai Thiruvarampu, J Vignesh (22) of Marthandam Kalai Santhai, Nishanth and Anamika (6).