Five pilgrims die in Tamil Nadu road accident

PUDUKOTTAI: Five pilgrims, including a woman, died and 18 others suffered injuries in a road accident involving a speeding truck and two stationary vans and a stationary car near Thirumayam in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Saturday.

A group of 13 pilgrims from Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district -- who were on a pilgrimage to Sabarimala in Kerala -- was heading to Pillayarpatti temple Sivaganga in a van. Fifteen pilgrims from Chennai were going to Rameswaram in another van.

The vans stopped near a teashop at Namanasamudram on the Pudukottai-Karaikudi Road. Some devotees got down to drink tea while others remained in the vehicles. A car proceeding to Ramanathapuram from Thirukadaiyur halted there, and the occupants were having tea at the shop.

A cement bags-laden truck that was heading towards Thiruppachethi in Sivagangai district from Ariyalur district rammed one of the stationary vans. The van hit the van in front of it. The second van in turn hit the car parked in front of it. All the vehicles were damaged.

R Gokulakrishnan, 28, of Thiruvellavayal in Tiruvallur district, Jaganathan, 60, and S Shanthi, 49, of Panayancherry, S Sathish, 25, of Aminjikarai, and K Suresh, 39, of Maduravoyal died on the spot.

On being alerted, the Namanasamudram police rushed to the spot. They injured were admitted to Thirumayam and Pudukottai government hospitals.