THANJAVUR: A nine-year-old boy and 63-year-old woman were killed when a tourist bus proceeding to Velankanni shrine in Nagapattinam district from Thrissur in Kerala overturned near Okkanadu in Thanjavur on Sunday morning. Forty others injured in the accident were sent to nearby hospitals.
Chief minister M K Stalin condoled the deaths and announced a solatium of 2 lakh each to relatives of the deceased and 50,000 each to those who sustained grievous injuries.
Police said 47 pilgrims from Thrissur in Kerala were on their way to the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health in Velankanni along with two tour organizers and a helper. Around 5.30 am, the bus was approaching a turning at Okkanadu in Keelaiyur village when driver Shamir lost control and rammed a crash barrier. The bus overturned on the roadside pit. Residents rushed to the spot and tried to rescue the passengers. George Varghese Lilly and a young boy, Jerald, of Nellikunnam near Thrissur succumbed to their injuries.
Police sent their bodies to the Orathanadu government hospital for postmortem. Among the injured 32, including Mercy, 54, and Agith, 24, were admitted to Thanjavur government medical college hospital and the government hospital in Mannargudi. Eight others with grievous injuries were admitted to a private hospital in Thanjavur, police said. A case has been registered. Police said traffic was affected for more than three hours because of the accident.
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