Four die in road accident near Chennai

CHENNAI: Four people, including three members of a family, died after a car they were travelling in rammed a container truck near Madurantakam – around 80km from Chennai -- in the early hours of Wednesday. A teenager, who suffered serious injuries in the accident, was admitted to Chengalpet Government Hospital.

Police said Abdul Hamid of Melpattambakkam in Cuddalore district, who works in Saudi Arabia, had come on a vacation to his hometown. In the early hours of Wednesday, his wife Binisha, 40, and children Misal, 20, Faisal, 12, and Atthal,16, dropped him at the Chennai airport as he was returning to Saudi Arabia.

The accident happened on the Chennai-Trichy National Highway when they were going back home after dropping him. The car was driven by Saravanan, 45.

When they reached Silavattam near Madurantakam, the car rammed a container truck going ahead of it.

Motorists on the highway stopped and informed the police control room and 108 about the accident. Police and the public pulled out the occupants of the car after much struggle as the vehicle was completely crushed from the front. A medical team that reached the spot stated that the Saravanan, Binisha, Faisal and Misal had died on the spot.

They found that Athal was alive but grievously injured. They rushed him to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital.

The Madurantakam police registered a case, and a team headed by DSP K Sivasakthi started investigating the incident.

Chengalpet superintendent of police V V Sai Praneeth said it was suspected that Saravanan might have dozed off while driving the car. The locals told police that the car was moving at a high speed. "We are investigating to understand what happened. The vehicle will be subjected to a test to analyse how the accident happened," he explained.

CM condoles accidents

Chief minister M K Stalin has condoled the deaths of four people in the Madurantakam road accident and the demise of five people in a road accident at Vayalur near Kalpakkam late on Tuesday. He said the government would provide compensation to the bereaved families.


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