CHENNAI: At least nine persons were killed and sixteen others injured in separate accidents in and around Kancheepuram district.
Police in Kancheepuram said a private omni bus ferrying 33 passengers on a chartered trip from Abhiramapuram in Pudukottai district to Chennai plunged into a ditch and overturned after a front tyre burst near Thandalam village close to Tiruporur around 4 am on Friday.
The struggling passengers were rescued by Thandalam villagers and the police. Abdul Kareem (61), of Palavakkam, was crushed to death while Vinotha (26), of Thuraipakkam, who suffered grievous injuries, succumbed later in the hospital.
Eleven other injured were treated at Chengelpattu Government Hospital. Police are yet to nab the omni bus driver.
In another incident near Madurantagam, Suresh (35), an autorickshaw driver, proceeding on a scooter with his wife Mahalakshmi, and children- Harish (7), Divya (3) and Rajalakshmi (3), on Chithampur - Choonamped Road, collided head-on with another two-wheeler in which Nagaraj and Surya (13) were coming.
While Suresh and Surya died on the spot, five others including the three kids were being treated for the injuries.
In yet another accident involving a two-wheeler and a private bus heading to Chennai, Babu (36), and Selvam (28), both natives of Tiruvannamalai, were killed. The duo, working in the City as masons were proceeding to their native town for Pongal when the mishap occurred.
In what is suspected to be a hit-and-run case, Arockiasamy (37), of Pillaiyar Koil Street, Mannurpet, was found dead in a water-stagnant road side pit, after he left home in the night.
In another accident, Srinivasan((20) and his friend Ramesh (23), of Uveri Chathiram near Kancheepuram, were fatally knocked down by a private bus on Arakkonam - Kancheepuram road, on Thursday night. Srinivasan succumbed to the injuries while Ramesh is being treated.
Irate villagers smashed the windshield of the bus which caused the accident.
In a freak accident, one Babu (40), of Ariyur near Vellore, fell down from a pickup autorickshaw on Chennai - Bengaluru highway, on Friday.
He succumbed to the injuries at Kancheepuram GH. Kancheepuram Police had registered cases in all the accidents and are investigating further.