Six persons killed in lorry-bus collision in Salem

Passengers were loading their luggage in the bus when the lorry rammed it on Salem-Chennai National Highway

Six persons were killed, and two others sustained grievous injuries after a lorry collided with an omni-bus in Salem district in the early hours of Sunday.

The police said that around 12.15 a.m., passengers were loading their luggage in the bus on the Salem-Chennai National Highway near the Pethanaickenpalayam town panchayat office. Instead of parking the bus on the roadside, driver Parameswaran, 50, of Attur halted it on the road.

A tipper lorry rammed the bus from behind and knocked down the passengers. In the impact, five persons died on the spot and three were taken to hospital with grievous injuries. One of them, T. Vijaya, 60, of Kalottar Street, died at hospital.

Those who were killed on the spot were identified as G. Thirunavukkarasu, 65, and his son Ravikumar, 42, of Kalottar Street at Pethanaickenpalayam, T. Senthilvelavan, 44, of Aragalur, Subramani, 38, of Kothampadi, and bus cleaner Deepan, 25, of Kallupatti.

M. Madeswari, 60, and her son M. Jayaprakash, 40, of Thulukanur, were being treated at a private hospital at Vazhapadi. The Yethapur police registered a case and arrested lorry driver Karthick, 30, of Senthamangalam in Namakkal district. 

Collector S. Karmegam and Superintendent of Police M. Sree Abhinav inspected the spot. Mr. Karmegam attributed most of the accidents to the failure of drivers to follow the traffic rules. The authorities were instructed to take stern action against those who were not following the road safety rules. Highways Department officials were asked to erect caution boards and barricades in accident zones, he said.