10 VAOs killed as train hits van in TN

Kancheepuram, Apr 16: At least ten Village Administrative Officers (VAOs) were killed and 13 injured when the van in which they were travelling was hit by a passenger train at an unmanned level crossing at Govindavadi Agaram, near here, this morning.

Superintendent of Police (SP) A Amalraj told mediapersons that the accident occurred when the van carrying 22 VAOs from Vellore was hit by the Chengalpattu-Arakkonam Passenger train.

The impact of the accident was such that the van was dragged to a distance of 15 metre. The injured were rushed to the Kancheepuram Government Hospital for treatment.

The VAOs were travelling to Chennai to attend a meeting today to be held under the leadership of MLA Gnanasekaran.

This is a second such incident in the past six months.

Six months ago, 17 people were killed when an autorickshaw, which got stuck in the tracks at an unmanned level-crossing, was hit by an EMU at Pudupakkam Village, about five km from the scene of the latest accident.

UNI