Two women were crushed to death and at least 25 passengers, including women and children, were injured when a bus in which they were travelling overturned at Gandhinagar near Mandapam on Sunday evening.
Police said 52 persons, mostly from Kovilthottam near Kollam in Kerala, were returning after visiting Pamban road and rail bridge. The bus fell into a roadside ditch and overturned. The accident happened when the driver applied the brake.
Police identified the deceased as R. Jesma (22), wife of Robert, and C. Helema (25).
The passengers had left Kollam on Friday and reached Pamban on Sunday evening after visiting the Velankanni church in Nagapattinam.
The injured, including a child, were admitted to the Government Headquarters Hospital here. Traffic was disrupted for about an hour on Rameswaram-Ramanathapuram National Highway. Even as police were regulating the traffic, a fish-laden van rammed a bus. The van driver was injured and admitted to hospital, police added.
Another accident In yet another accident, a six-month-old child was killed and six people were injured when a car in which they were travelling overturned near S.V. Pattinam. They were returning from Thondi, police said.
