Three passengers travelling on a private bus died on the spot, when the bus’s left wheels fell into and got stuck in a pit on the side of the Thirukattupalli-Kandiyur Road near Varagur on Tuesday afternoon.
The bus was proceeding to Mannargudi from Kallanai when the wheels got stuck in the pit that had been dug to lay pipes. According to local sources, the accident occurred when the driver swerved the bus to avoid a collision with a vehicle coming in the opposite direction on the narrow carriageway.
Officials could not immediately confirm if electrocution was the cause of the deaths of the passengers as the bus had hit an overhead power cable on the roadside before it tipped into the pit.
Police said the cause of the accident was under investigation and that they were in the process of establishing the identities of the deceased.
