Death toll in the road accident that happened at Kadayanallur on Sunday, which claimed four lives, rose to five on Monday after an injured youth died at Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital.
When M. Sirajudeen (27), R. Mohamed Ismail (23) and M. Shaik Mohamed (25), all from Vadakarai near Shencottai, were returning home on a bike from Chokkampatti on Sunday, lorry driver A. Maharajan (38) of Muthusamypuram and his friend K. Muthunarayanasamy (24) of Mela Kadayanallur overtook them on another bike even as the trio were about to reach Kadayanallur.
When the threesome overtook Maharajan’s bike within the next few minutes, it led to a race between them on the busy Tenkasi-Madurai highway.
On seeing the oncoming speeding bikes in a terrifying manner, the driver of a van, in which 19 fruit traders from Simmakkal in Madurai were returning home after visiting Courtallam, turned his vehicle hurriedly in a bid to avert collision with the two-wheelers.
However, the van overturned and the bikes hit the van at high speed to kill Maharajan, Muthunarayanasamy, Sirajudeen and Mohamed Ismail on the spot while Shaik Mohamed sustained serious injuries.
He was rushed to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital, where he breathed his last on Monday.
