17 dead, equal number injured in five accidents in TN

Chennai, Jun 17 (UNI) Seventeen people, including five ayyappa devotees and tourists from Indore, were killed and 17 injured in separate accidents in Tamil Nadu today.

Reports received here said five each were killed in an accident at Thanjavur and Namakkal Districts, three in a mishap near a tourist resort in Mahabalipuram about 55 km from here and two each in road accidents at Madurai and Dindigul.

Five people were killed and two others injured when the van in which they were returning to Thanjavur after a pilgrimage to Sabarimala, collided with a lorry near Sengipatti on the Thanjavur- Trichy NH.

Police said while three people died on the spot, two others succumbed to injuries at the Thanjavur Medical College Hospital.

The deceased were identified as van driver Nalasivam (35), Rajesh (27), Murugesan (35), Balasubramanian (45) and Muthukumar (35).

The injured were being treated at the hospital.

In another accident at Namakkal, five people were killed and 13 others injured when the van in which they were travelling collided with a Salem-bound Tamil Nadu State Road Transport Corporation bus.

The deceased were a mill owner Sethuraman (45) of Aruppukottai, his wife Radha (40), brothers Pothiraj (68), a retired college lecturer, Chennakesavan (40), a college professor, and the van driver Sivakumar.

They were returning from Bellary in Karnataka after finalising an alliance for Sethuraman's daughter when the mishap occurred.

Thirteen others, who were in the ill-fated van, sustained injuries and were admitted to Namakkal Hospital.

Meanwhile, tragedy struck a group of tourists from Indore when the car in which they were travelling met with an accident at Mahabalipuram, killing three people on the spot. Two others sustained injuries in the mishap. The victims were returning after a tour of Mahabalipuram when the accident occurred.

Reports received at the police headquarters here said two people each were killed in accidents and Madurai and Dindigul Districts.

UNI GV GKT SY RN1840