VIRUDHUNAGAR: A 23-year-old male was buried alive in sludge, and three others suffered injuries when a car driven by one of the victims allegedly under the influence of alcohol fell into a 15-foot drainage canal along the Virudhunagar-Madurai National Highway near the PRC depot on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Sanjay (23) of Kanniyakumari and the injured as Karthik (28), Sridharan (24) and Madhubalan (23) of Sankarankovil. A senior police officer said preliminary investigation revealed that all the victims were under the influence of alcohol and were speeding.
Police said the accident occurred late on Tuesday evening when the group was driving from Sankarankovil towards Ooty.
When they were near the PRC depot, the car hit a stagnant pool of rain water on the road due to which the driver lost control. The vehicle skidded, hit the road median, and overturned into a drainage canal located between the two lanes of the highway.
Upon information, Fire and Rescue Service personnel rushed to the spot and rescued Karthik, Sridharan and Madhubalan. They were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, after hours of search, Sanjay, was found dead in the sludge. The body was recovered and sent to the Government Medical College Hospital for autopsy. Police could not immediately ascertain who was driving the car.
Speaking to TNIE, officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) asserted there was no lapse on their part and the canal was maintained properly. "Appropriate safety measures, including blinkers and speed limit boards, had been installed at the site," they explained and said the accident was caused due to over speeding. Virudhunagar Rural Police are investigating.