CHENNAI: Five women were killed in a tragic road accident near Thiruporur in Chengalpattu district near Chennai on Wednesday afternoon. A speeding car lost control and rammed into them when they were sitting on the roadside.
The deceased, identified as M Andhaayi (71), C Logammal (56), G Yasodha (54), S Vijaya (53), K Gowri (52), were sitting by the road after letting their cattle graze the nearby fields.
Four college students were in the car at the time of accident. The police have arrested two of them, including the one who was at the wheel; a search is on to nab the other two who fled the spot. Soon after the accident, the villagers nearby caught hold of the two youths and thrashed them before police reached the spot.
A senior police officer told TNIE, “Prima facie, the two arrested men, who are college students, did not appear to be drunk but we have sent them for a medical examination to be certain.”
The police said that four persons, including the two arrested named Joshua (19), who was driving the car, and Ahmed (20), were students of a private college near Thiruporur. On Wednesday afternoon, they were heading to Mamallapuram from Thiruporur. As they were travelling along the Payanoor-Pandithamedu junction, the speeding car reportedly lost control and hit the five women.
The women were a group of neighbours from Payanoor village. As the car rammed into them, two of them were flung a few feet away. After the accident, the villagers surrounded the car. While two of them escaped, villagers caught hold of Johsua and Ahmed.
Chengalpattu district police rushed to the spot and took the two men in custody. The bodies of the deceased were sent to Chengalpattu Government Hospital for postmortem.
Meanwhile, a group of Payanoor villagers staged a protest and blocked the police vehicle from leaving the spot, demanding swift and severe action against the people who were in the car. The villagers also demanded monetary assistance for the family of the deceased. The police gave the assurance that their demands would be met and dispersed the crowd, a police officer said..
Later in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin condoled the deaths and announced a solatium of Rs. 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased.