TIRUPATTUR: Eleven tribals — six women and five girls — were killed and 23 others injured after a pickup van they were travelling in fell 100-ft down the Jawadhu Hills in Tirupattur around noon on Saturday.Police sources said the driver, van’s owner Paranthaman (35), lost control of the vehicle as the path was steep and unmotorable. With the accident occurring at a remote location, rescue operations began only after an hour.
Thirty four people belonging to a tribal community had been travelling by the hired load van from their hamlet of Puliyur in Nellivasalnadu panchayat to the Sri Anjaneyar temple 8 km up the hills. The mishap occurred near Sembarai hamlet as the van neared the temple. The vehicle, that was slowly making its way up the hill, started moving backwards.
“The vehicle slipped from the hill, flipped over three or four times before crashing,” Vellore range Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr Z Annie Vijaya told TNIE. Six persons were killed on the spot. They were identified as T Selvi (35), T Suganthra (55), K Mangai (60) as well as P Durga (40) and her daughters Pavithra (18) and Sharmila (12).
Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services and police personnel rescued the survivors and shifted them to Tirupattur Government Hospital about 45 km away by four special ambulances. By evening, five more had succumbed. They were identified as Thikkiammal (47), Chinnathikki (22), Jayapriya (16), Alamelu (12), and Chennammal (12). Police said, of the 23 others undergoing treatment, two are in critical condition.
The bodies of the deceased were sent for postmortem examination. Tirupattur Taluk police registered a case and are investigating. News of the mishap plunged Puliyur in gloom. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin offered his condolences to the kin of the deceased. In a press statement, he said special treatment would be given to all the injured and ordered a solatium of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
While senior police officials visited the accident spot, Tirupattur MLA A Nallathambi and Jolarpet MLA K Devaraji visited the injured. Collector Amar Kushwaha, who launched the book festival at 3.00pm, visited the injured at the hospital at around 7.30 pm.