CHENNAI: Six passengers died and five sustained serious injuries after the mini goods carrier they were travelling in was crushed between two trucks on Chennai - Trichy national highway in Chengalpattu on Wednesday early morning. Five others have been critically injured.
Sources said the group of 13 people was on its way to Chennai after attending Karthigai Deepam festival in Tiruvannamalai. The 10-day festival concluded on Tuesday. The deceased have been identified as Chandrasekar (70), Damodharan (27), Ravi (37), Sekar (55), Ezhumalai (65), and Gokul (33). The injured passengers are Ramamurthy (35), Sathish Kumar (27), Ravi (26), Sekar (37), and Ayyanar (34).
According to Madurantakam police, all the passengers are from Pozhichalur near Pallavaram in the city suburbs. The group left from Tiruvannamalai around midnight and were crossing Janakipuram village near Madurantakam around 3 am when the driver of the truck in front of the van applied a sudden brake.
“The driver of the goods carrier managed to press the brake pedal but the vehicle collided with the truck. Meanwhile, another truck behind them rammed into the vehicle crushing it,” said a police officer.
While three men including the driver were seated in front, 10 were seated on the back of the mini goods carrier.
Police said following the accident, the driver of the first truck fled the spot, while the second truck driver sustained injuries. They suspect the van’s driver could have dozed off when the first truck skidded to a halt. The five injured were sent to Madurantakam government hospital.
Two others were taken to Chengalpattu government hospital as outpatients and were discharged later. Police said they struggled to pull out the bodies of the deceased from the mangled remains of the vehicle.
STALIN announces Rs 1 lakh solatium
Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 1 lakh each to the families of the deceased on Wednesday. According to a statement, another accident, involving a group of 10 people, occurred while they were on their way from Arunachaleswarar temple to Pozhichalur. MSME Minister TM Anbarasan rushed to the spot and helped those injured in the accident