COIMBATORE: Three tribals, including a woman, were killed and 19 others sustained injuries after a mini truck they were travelling in overturned on the Valparai Ghat Road near Aliyar Dam at Pollachi in Coimbatore district on Thursday morning.
The private vehicle was carrying 22 people of Malasar community from the Navamalaipathi tribal village in the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) for irrigation canal maintenance work at Kattampatti near Negamam in the plains.
According to sources, the driver lost control of the truck, allegedly due to speeding and technical failure, and the vehicle toppled on the ghat road. The deceased have been identified as Rani (45), K Thilagaraj (40), and R Sanjaykumar (20).
The accident occurred around 8am as the vehicle, driven by Devabalan (45) of Navamalaipathi, was approaching the Chinnarpathi tribal hamlet. Upon alert, the Aliyar police rushed to the accident spot and shifted the victims to Pollachi Government Hospital.
However, Rani, who suffered head injuries, died on the spot. Thilagaraj died on the way to Pollachi GH, and Sanjaykumar passed away at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) after being transferred from the GH, sources said.
CM gives Rs 3 lakh solatium, tribal leader appeals for more aid
The tribals had to travel for more than 30km from their hamlet every day for livelihood due to lack of forest-related work, and were paid only a minimum wage, said VS Paramasivam, district president of the Tamil Nadu Tribal People Association.
According to police, 14 of the injured have been admitted to Pollachi GH, while five others with serious injuries have been referred to the CMCH.
Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed his condolences and announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh each to the families of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh each for those with major injuries, and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries. Pollachi MP K Eswarasamy and Coimbatore Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar handed over the cheques to the families of the victims late on Thursday.
“Rani has three daughters and Thilagaraj has two daughters. The deceased were the breadwinners of their families. The accident occurred when they were on their way to maintain irrigation canals under the Aliyar-Parambikkulam Project (PAP), which is managed by WRD,” tribal leader Paramasivam said. “The government should reconsider the compensation, taking into account their family circumstances,” he said.
Three of family die in car-lorry collision
RANIPET: Three members of a family were killed after their car collided head-on with a lorry on the Kancheepuram-Arakkonam Road in Ranipet around 11 am on Thursday. They were returning home from a temple when the front tyre of their car burst, causing the vehicle to veer into the opposite lane and crash into the lorry