Four killed, three hurt as car rammed into load van in Pudukkottai

TIRUCHY: Four persons died while three others sustained injuries after two cars collided with a load van in Pudukkottai on Saturday.

Senthamizh Selvan (65), a retired SBI employee from Cauvery Nagar in Thanjavur, along with his wife Aruna (62), their daughter-in-law Ramya (40), and her children Kuzhalini (10) and Magizhini (4), were heading to Madurai for a temple visit. Their relatives, including Senthamizh Selvan’s son Arun Kumar, were travelling in another car.

The car that Senthamizh Selvan was driving, nearing Namanasamudram at Pudukkottai-Karaikudi national highway at around 10 am, collided head-on with a load van bound from Karaikudi to Pudukkottai. Under the impact, the load van toppled while another car that followed the load van rammed into the van.

Senthamizh Selvan, his wife Aruna, and the load van cleaner Sudhakar (45) died on the spot, while Ramya, Kuzhalini, Magizhini, and the van driver Moorthi sustained severe injuries. Fortunately, the occupants from the other car that followed the load van escaped unhurt.

The public who witnessed the accident rushed to the spot and commenced the rescue operation. They also passed on the information to the Namanasamudram police, who rushed to the spot and retrieved the bodies and rescued the injured. The injured were rushed to the Pudukkottai Medical College Hospital. However, Ramya succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.

Meanwhile, the fire and rescue personnel rushed to the spot and removed the vehicles involved in the accident. Traffic was disrupted for more than one hour on the Pudukkottai-Karaikudi national highway.