VIRUDHUNAGAR
Six persons were killed in two separate accidents reported in Aruppukottai and Srivilliputtur in Virudhunagar district on Sunday.
In the first accident, four persons from Bengalaru were killed when an SUV hit the crash barrier on Madurai-Thoothukudi highway near Aruppukottai.
Police identified the deceased as M. Kamalakannan, 75, his wife Premakumari, 70, and son Kannan Velu, 52, and his wife Bindu, 46. Kannan Velu’s daughter Vaishnavi, who is said to be pursuing medicine, suffered fractures in her legs. She has been referred to a private hospital in Madurai.
Superintendent of Police M. Rajarajan, who inspected the spot, said the family was going to Tiruchendur from Bengaluru when the vehicle lost control and rammed the steel crash barrier on the left side of the road near Ramanujampuram under Aruppukottai Taluk police station limits around 3.15 p.m.
The police said Kannan Velu was at the wheel. The steel plates in the crash barrier pierced through the vehicle and got bent in a zig-zag way. Fire and Rescue Services personnel had to struggle for long to cut the plates to retrieve the mutilated body of Premakumari, Aruppukottai Station Fire Officer A.K. Nagarajan said. Gas and concrete cutters from Virudhunagar fire office were brought for the job.
Two others who were travelling in the vehicle, however, escaped with minor injuries.
In the second accident, a teacher travelling in a private bus, J. Thilagamatha, 45, of Srivilliputtur, and a two-wheeler rider, M. Marimuthu, 20, of Rengapalayam, were killed near Poovani junction in Srivilliputtur.
The police said Thilagamatha was returning home after attending election-related training when the accident occurred.
Marimuthu was proceeding from Srivilliputtur to Krishnankoil when he suddenly came to the middle of the road. In an attempt to avoid hitting the two-wheeler, the bus driver swerved the vehicle to the right. However, after hitting the bus, the bike was caught under its rear wheel. Marimuthu was thrown away and killed on the spot.
The bus driver lost control of the vehicle, which got off the road. Thilagavathi, who was sitting on a seat close to the entrance, was thrown out of the vehicle. She fell on the tar road and sustained head injuries and died on the spot.
A village nurse, Meenakshi, 40, suffered fracture in her hand. She has been admitted to Srivilliputtur Government Hospital.
Srivilliputtur Town police are investigating.
