Five persons were killed while four others were seriously injured when the van in which they were travelling collided with a truck around 5.30 a.m. on Monday near Odachalpatti junction on the Harur-Dharmapuri State Highway the district.
According to police, all the nine occupants in the van were from Gettualli near Pennagaram in the district. They were returning home after taking part in the ‘karthigai deepam’ festival in Tiruvannamalai district. Police suspect that the accident happened when the van driver fell asleep at the wheel.
District Collector K. Vivekanandan visited the injured at the hospital. Kamala, mother of Karthi (one of the deceased), appealed to the Collector for a government job for her daughter, who was in the final year in college. Karthi, a teacher in a government school, was the sole breadwinner of the family.
