THENI: Eight Sabarimala pilgrims died and two others sustained injuries after a car in which they were travelling fell into a 40-foot-deep gorge at Iraichalpalam (S bend) near Kumuli ghat section in Theni district late on Friday.
The accident happened when the victims, who had left for the temple in Kerala on December 22, were returning home after their pilgrimage. Police sources said the accident could have happened around 10.30pm on Friday after driver A Gopalakrishnan (42) of Pitchampatti lost control of the vehicle while maneuvering a bend on the hilly route.
The vehicle had hit a penstock, a pipeline that carries water to Mullaiperiyar hydroelectric power project, before falling into the gorge.One of the passengers, N Raja (40) of Andipatti, who sensed the accident, threw his seven-year-old son R Hariharan from the car just seconds before the vehicle fell into the gorge and the boy alerted vehicles that were passing by the route about the accident. After passersby informed police, a team from Kumuli rushed to the accident spot.
Soon, fire and rescue services personnel from Theni and Kerala joined the rescue operation along with local villagers. Theni SP Dongare Pravin Umesh, too, rushed to the spot.While seven people died on the spot, three others, Gopalakrishnan (42), N Raja (40) and his son R Hariharan (7), were shifted to Kanavilakku PHC and then to Theni Government Medical College Hospital. Gopalakrishnan died on the way to Theni hospital. Hariharan is said to be out of danger and Raja, who sustained grievous injuries, is undergoing treatment at the hospital.
The deceased were identified as P Muniyandi (55) of Chakkampatti, P Devadoss (55) of Andipatti, N Kanniswami (55) of Maravapatti, R Nagaraj (46) of Andipatti, S Vinodh (47) of Andipatti, S Sivakumar (45) of Andipatti, M Kalaiselvan (45) of T Boominayakanpatti and A Gopalakrishnan (42) of Pitchampatti, sources said.
The bodies and the mangled car were lifted from the gorge with the help of a heavy-duty crane.
Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday announced a solatium of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 each to two persons injured in the accident. He also directed authorities to offer best possible treatment to the injured being treated at Theni medical college hospital.
“We completed the rescue operation around 3am on Saturday,” SP Dongare said.Vehicles had to move slowly on the route for a few hours because of the accident. The traffic congestion was cleared later, police said.