KOCHI: The driver of a van died and 18 women passengers were injured after the vehicle collided with a lorry loaded with timber at Nayathodu Junction near Angamaly on MC Road stretch in the wee hours of Friday.
The deceased is Abdul Majeed, 53, of Thachkodu, Kizhakkancherry, Palakkad. Majeed was driving the van in which 18 women, who work for a catering firm, were on their way back after an event at Ranni, Pathanamthitta.
The police said the accident took place around 2.10am when the lorry, on its way to Perumbavoor side, collided with the van coming from the opposite side. The police suspect that the lorry driver fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle. The van was destroyed in the accident and it took around half an hour to rescue those inside.
The injured women are M Sandhya 35, Anitha 34, Rajitha 42, Dhanya Priya 38, Mini Udayan 30, C Sajida 34, Usha 45, Reena 39, M Sajida 38, Rajitha 38, Geetha 35, Sameesha 41, Sarada 48, Sandhya 39, Jalaja 45, Jayanthi 35, Sindhu 35 and Viju 42. The condition of two women is critical.
The accident led to a severe traffic block on MC Road stretches from Angamaly to Kalady. The traffic was restored after 1.5 hours after both the vehicles were removed from the road.
The Angamaly police have registered a case against the lorry driver and started a probe into the incident.
Meanwhile, residents claimed that accidents are frequent on the stretch due to unscientific road construction. “The accident took place on a major curve. Due to unscientific construction, the vehicles coming from Angamaly often cut to the right side of the road, leading to collisions with vehicles coming from the opposite side. Major and minor accidents are being reported on the road stretch every week. The authorities should take an initiative to level the curve to prevent accidents,” Joseph Ittiyarah, a local resident, said.