Four persons were killed and 21 others sustained injuries when a lorry rammed a bus in the early hours on Saturday.
The bus, on chartered trip, was carrying pilgrims from Chenniampatti village in Palakkodu taluk of Dharmapuri district. They were going to Thirunallar Saneeswaran Temple. The driver had stopped the vehicle at Su.Valavetti on Tirukkoilur Road as one of the tyres got punctured. Even as some of passengers were helping him replace the tyre in the dark, a glass-laden lorry bound for Dindigul from Sriperumbudur rammed it.
The passengers who were trying to help the bus driver were crushed to death. They were identified as Murugan (27), Murugesan (40), Muniyan (40) and Nagarajan (37). Eighteen other pilgrims, including seven women in the bus, sustained injuries in the impact of the collision and were rushed to the Government Tiruvannamalai Medical College Hospital.
The Verayur police booked a case. Lorry driver Arunkumar from Karur was arrested.
