Two persons were killed and three injured when three goods-carrying lorries collided with one another on the Neelambur by-pass during the early hours of Friday. According to the police, a tanker carrying chemicals driven by Rajendran (59) was proceeding from Eachanari near here to Karur, when another lorry driven by Periasamy (59), carrying soft drinks from Kerala, tried to overtake it around 4.45 a.m.
A lorry carrying soaps coming in the opposite direction collided with the lorry carrying soft drinks and in the impact hit the chemical tanker.
Periasamy and Munirathnam (31), the driver of the soap lorry, were killed. Santhosh, cleaner of the lorry from Kerala, and Rajendran, driver of the tanker, suffered injuries. Lakshmanan, the cleaner of the tanker, escaped with minor injuries.
Fire tenders and police personnel rushed to the spot and cleared the roads by around 8.30 a.m.
The traffic along the stretch of the highway was disrupted for nearly four hours.
The body of Munirathnam got stuck in the vehicle and could be removed only after a two-hour struggle by the police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel. A case has been registered at Chettipalayam Police Station.
18 injured
As many as 18 persons including an 11-month-old baby were injured when the van in which they were travelling veered off the road and fell into a drain near Pollachi during the early hours of Friday. According to the police, Manikandan, 28, and his wife Sudha, 25, residents of Udumalpet, were proceeding to a temple in Sethumadai in Pollachi. The accident occurred when a lorry tried to overtake the van. The van driver lost control of the vehicle, resulting in the van falling into a drain.