DHARMAPURI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday condoled the death of four people in a four-vehicle pile-up on the Thoppur ghat road and announced exgratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the family members the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured.
On Wednesday, around 4:50 pm, a paddy laden truck went out of control , and collided with two trucks and ran over two cars. The accident left four people dead and eight injured. Police identified the deceased as J Vimalkumar (30), V Anusha (22), A Manju (45) and V Jenifer (30) all natives of Jayankondam from Ariyalur.
Eight people including five adults and three children suffered grievous injuries and were admitted to various hospitals in Salem. Their condition is stable, police said.
It took the toll plaza staff nearly 12 hours to clear the NH 44 road between Salem and Dharmapuri, with traffic diverted through a single lane. The accident has put the spotlight on the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) proposal to build an elevated corridor in the stretch at a cost of Rs 775 crore. In 2022, NHAI declared the Thoppur Ghat road as a black spot due to the regular frequency of accidents involving heavy commercial vehicles.
According to a study conducted by the Regional Transport Office, between 2012 and 2021, 558 accidents occurred in Thoppur which left 684 people injured and 208 people dead. In 2022, 92 people were injured and nine deaths were reported. In 2023, nine fatalities were reported in the stretch.
In December 2023, NHAI announced that an elevated corridor would be constructed in Thoppur at the cost of Rs 775 crore. After Wednesday’s accident, locals demand that the project be expedited.
Speaking to TNIE, N Anandhan, a taxi driver said, “We have become numb with all the reports of accidents, I have witnessed numerous accidents in the Thoppur ghat road. It is disheartening that despite so many fatalities taking place in the stretch, no efforts have been taken to improve the situation. Thoppur has been marked as a black spot and many modifications have been made, but they do not seem enough to prevent accidents.”
Regional Transport Officer, D Dhamodharan said, “Over the past two years, tollgate staff and the RTO has expanded key areas on the Ghat road, and improved night-time visibility by fixing reflective stickers, cat eyes, blinkers and even audio warning systems to alert drivers.
These measures have had led to a significant reduction in accidents. However, the terrain remains a tough one for heavy vehicles. We have appealed to NHAI to widen the twin bridge area to ease traffic flow, as a temporary measure. We have also requested NHAI to hasten the construction of the elevated highway.”
A police official in Dharmapuri said, “The road gradient in Thoppur is wrong. From Dharmapuri to Salem the descent is extreme. Drivers cannot control trucks with full payload, which often results in brake failure.
The road needs to be fixed. The proposed elevated project must be completed as soon as possible.”
Dharmapuri MLA SP Venkateshwaran said, “The accident on Wednesday is tragic and further accidents such as this should be averted at all costs. This can only be done through new roads. NHAI has issued a tender for the road works in Thoppur at Rs 775 crore. It must hasten the works.”
