ERODE: 38 women were injured after a mini truck in which they were travelling toppled in Sathyamangalam on Thursday morning. The women, all residents of three villages in Sathyamangalam, were employed under MGNREGS for the expansion of a pond in Kokkarakundi village, around four kilometres from their locality.
In the absence of public transport facility due to the Covid-induced lockdown, the women hired the mini truck to reach their workplace. On Thursday morning, the driver, Ramesh, allegedly let all the women board the vehicle’s open cart, which is exclusively used for goods transport.
When they reached Kothamangalam panchayat, the vehicle turned turtle after the driver lost control, police said. While the driver fled from the scene, the passengers who were thrown out of the vehicle, sustained injuries.
The passersby rushed to help and sent the injured to Government Sathyamangalam Hospital for first-aid. Later, they were shifted to private hospitals in Coimbatore and Sathyamangalam for further treatment.
According to police, the driver was under the influence of alcohol. “He also crammed the vehicle with passengers beyond limit. Bhavanisagar police have registered a case and initiated a probe,” a police source said.