VILLUPURAM: In a tragic incident near Kallakurichi, three persons including a pregnant lady who was being taken to hospital for delivery, died and three more were injured as the ambulance they were travelling in rammed into a roadside tree.
According to a police source at Kallakurichi station, Kannan (30) of Puthupattu village near Kallakurichi is a farmer. His wife Jayalakshmi (26) was pregnant for the second time after their first child died a few days after birth. Early on Thursday, she experienced labour pain and she was taken to hospital in the 108 ambulance service along with her mother-in-law Selvi (55), sister-in-law Ambika (30) and primary health centre nurse Meena.
The ambulance was driven by Kaliyamurthi and one Thenmozhi was a medical assistant in the ambulance. However, the front tyre of the ambulance burst and the driver lost control of the vehicle as it rammed into a tree near Ariyaperumanur lake in Alathur. Ambika and Selvi died on the spot while Jayalakshmi died on the way to the Kallakurichi GH. Kallakurichi SP Ziaul Haque inspected the accident spot.
The injured persons were shifted to the GH at Mundiyampakkam for treatment. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced Rs 5 lakh as compensation to the family of Jayalakshmi and Rs 3 lakh each to Ambika and Selvi.
Inspector dies in accident
In another accident near Ulundurpet, a police inspector was killed. Police sources at Edaikal station said Ramakrishnan (56) of Singampatti near Tirunelveli was working as inspector in the special police force battalion at Avadi.
He had visited his village to perform a few rituals for his late mother and while returning back in his car, at Eranji on the Trichy to Chennai highway, he lost the control of the vehicle when trying to avoid hitting a two wheeler. The car rammed into the centre median and also collided with a bike. Ramakrishnan, who suffered severe injuries in his face and head, died in the spot while two persons from Cuddalore district, who were riding on the bike, got injured.
Solatium to kin of victims
Expressing grief over the death of a pregnant woman and two of her relatives when the ambulance in which they were going to a hospital met with an accident near Alathur lake in Kallakurichi, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the woman, Jeyalakshmi.
Families of her mother-in-law Selvi and sister-in-law Ambika, who were killed in the accident, will be given Rs 3 lakh each. The chief minister also directed the authorities to secure the insurance claims of the deceased.
An official release said Jeyalakshmi was being taken to the Kallakurichi GH for delivery in a 108 ambulance from the Pudupattu PHC. However, one of the tyres of the vehicle burst, and the ambulance hit a tree. Selvi and Ambika died on the spot while Jeyalakshmi died while being taken to hospital.