TENKASI: A truck driver died on Sunday after his vehicle turned turtle and fell on the railway track near the western ghats in Puliyarai. The deceased has been identified as Manikandan (34), of Mukkudal. He was transporting plywood from Kerala to Thoothukudi.
Sources said, the truck that Manikandan was driving, was loaded with plywood. The truck was nearing Puliyarai, one of the border villages of Tamil Nadu, when Manikandan lost control of the vehicle trying to take a turn around 12.30 am. As a result, the truck fell on the track. While Manikandan’s handyman, Perumal (28), of Kuvalaikanni village near Sankarankovil, managed to escape, Manikandan died on the spot.
“Other truck drivers, who were driving behind Manikandan, alerted the police at the Puliyarai check post. The officials further alerted the railway police and station masters in Shengottai in Tamil Nadu, and Thenmala and Punalur in Kerala. After a station master relayed the message to the loco pilot of an empty train, which was 200 feet away from the accident spot, the train was stopped.”
“The Chennai - Kollam train was stopped at Shengottai railway station around 3.45 am. The debris of the truck was cleared from the track at 5.30 pm, and operation to Kerala ws resumed,” said Sub-Inspector S Karpagavinayagam, Tenkasi railway police.
Manikandan’s body was recovered by the fire and rescue services personnel, and was sent to Tenkasi district headquarters hospital for a postmortem examination. The Tenkasi railway police have launched an inquiry into the matter.