Two die as bus rams stationary truck in Tamil Nadu

SALEM: Two people died on the spot and 11 others sustained injuries when a private bus rammed a truck that was parked on a roadside near Mettur in Salem district of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday morning.

The deceased have been identified as P Venkatesan, 45, of Andiyappanur in Tirupathur district and M Manoharan, 48, of Sengkattur near Mettur.

The bus was heading to Salem from Mettur with 25 passengers. The accident happened near Mettur thermal power plant on the Thoppur-Bhavani State Highway. The driver of the bus did not notice the truck parked on the roadside. The bus rammed the rear of the truck.

R Vijayakumar, 36, V Santhosh Kumar, 38, K Harish, 28, A Bharath, 26, and M Vinoth, 27, sustained fractures while six others sustained minor injuries. They were admitted to Mettur Government Hospital. Vijayakumar later referred to Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital.

The truck driver, whose identity was not known, managed to escape from the accident spot leaving the vehicle behind. The Karumalaikudal police registered a case.