Three killed, 13 injured as van rams into wall

Brake failure may have caused accident, says Transport officer

The van that rammed into a wall near Koothattukulam on Monday.

Three persons, including two children, were killed and 13 injured when a Tempo Trax van, in which they were were travelling, rammed into a wall at Puthuvely Junction on M.C. Road near Koothattukulam on Monday.

The deceased were identified as Nayana Dileep, 6, Ann Maria Shiji, 5, both students of Marygiri CMI Public School, Koothattukulam, and Jose Jacob, 50, the van driver. Nayana was a Class 1 student and Ann a UKG student. All three were residents of Mutholapuram near Ramapuram. Nandana Dileep and Jobin Shiji, the elder sister and elder brother of Nayana and Ann respectively, were among those injured.

The accident occurred around 7.40 a.m., after the driver lost control of the vehicle. While Mr. Jacob died on the spot, the students were declared brought dead at a nearby private hospital. The front portion of the van was reduced to rubble under the impact of the collision and the victims had to be pulled out after breaking the van open. The van, owned by Mr. Jacob, was engaged by the school on a contract basis.

Except for one student who was shifted to Medical Trust Hospital in Ernakulam, the other 12 students inside the van were admitted to a private hospital at Koothattukulam with minor injuries.

“Brake failure seems to have caused the accident and the steep descend may have perpetuated it,” said K.J. Suresh Kumar, Joint Regional Transport Officer, Uzhavur.

The police have received a report to this effect from the Motor Vehicles Department. “The point where the byroad from Ilanji touches the M.C. Road is a steep descend. It was sheer good fortune that no other vehicle was passing by at the time the van sped on to M.C. Road following the brake failure. Else, it would have collided with other vehicles, thereby claiming more lives,” said N. Babukuttan, Circle Inspector, Ramapuram.

The police have asked the Public Works Department to erect a speed breaker at the point where the byroad intersects M.C. Road. “The PWD executive engineer has agreed to visit the site and put up the speed breaker,” said Mr. Babukuttan.

Post-mortem was conducted at the Koothattukulam Taluk Hospital and all three bodies were handed over to relatives.