Eight people died in a car-lorry collision near Manjanaayakkanpatti in Ettayapuram taluk of Tuticorin district around 5.30 a.m. on Tuesday.
All those travelling in the car were charred to death in the impact of the collision. The car was so badly burnt that even the number plates could not be read. The lorry was also burnt in the accident.
Seven occupants of the car were charred beyond recognition. Lorry driver R. Kumar (48) of Neyveli has been injured and admitted to Government Medical College Hospital here. A mobile phone of one of the victims, carrying a photograph, was found from the mangled remains of the car. The police remained clueless about the identity of the dead till the remains were taken to the Government Medical College Hospital.
According to the police, the accident occurred when the gypsum-lade lorry came to a halt on the wrong side following a breakdown. It was proceeding to R. R. Nagar at Thulukapatti near Virudhunagar from Tuticorin.
Fire and rescue service personnel from Vilathikulam, Kovilpatti and SIPCOT reached the spot at 6.05 a.m. and took 30 minutes to douse the flames.
K.P. Shanmuga Rajeswaran, DIG, Tirunelveli Range, and Kapil Kumar C. Saratkar, Superintendent of Police, rushed to the spot. Arrangements were made to remove the vehicles from the accident spot.
The dead were indentified as A. Venkatachalam (58), C. Samikannu (45), V. Kesavan (55), N. Paavadaisamy (53), T. Paramasivan (50), S. Balamurugan (54), K. Baskar (55) and V. Sundar, car driver, all from Kumbakonam. The Eppodhum Vendran police have filed a case. Further investigation is on.
