Four persons of a betrothal party and a driver of a bus were killed and 20 others injured in an accident that occurred on the East Coast Road, near Koovathur, in Chengalpattu district, on Monday evening.
A government bus bound for Puducherry rammed the side of a private bus, on which the victims were travelling for a betrothal. The deceased were identified as Alamelu, 52, Annapoorni, 55, Selvi, 40, and Vettavarayan, 60 — all residents of Ramapuram village, near Melmaruvathur, and driver Iyappan of the TNSTC bus. Six of the injured persons were critical, the police said. They were admitted to Government Hospitals in Chengalpattu and Cheyyur.
The villagers were travelling on the private bus, which was hired for the function to be held at RMI Nagar in Kalpakkam. At 5 p.m., a TNSTC bus from Chennai rammed the private bus, piercing its side. The TNSTC bus also overturned, injuring its driver who later died.
Chengalpattu SP E. Sundaravathanam went to the spot and held enquiries. The Koovathur police registered a case and are investigating.
