Ramanathapuram
Thirteen pilgrims on their way to Rameswaram suffered injuries when the van in which they were travelling overturned and fell into a roadside ditch near Pamban in the early hours of Sunday.
Police said 21 people, including 10 women and four children, were travelling in the van when the driver lost control after applying brake a few yards before the Pamban road bridge. The vehicle proceeding towards Rameswaram from here skidded and overturned, police said.
The victims, hailing from K.V. Kuppan in north Chennai, were on their way to visit Sri Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram after visiting Venkateswara Temple in Tirupati and Sri Subramaniya Swamy temple in Thiruchendur when the accident took place, police said.
The four children escaped unhurt, police said adding all the injured, including three women, were admitted as inpatients at the Government District Headquarters Hospital. The driver and his assistant escaped with minor injuries.
Most of those travelling in the van were asleep when the mishap occurred and could not recall as how the accident happened. The driver said it was raining and the vehicle skidded and swerved to the right after he applied brake. The local police, highway patrol police and paramedical staff in ‘108’ ambulance rushed to the site and rescued the injured.
