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The accident, which took place in the early hours of 30 December, caught the devotees who had stopped at the tea stall totally unawares.
The fatal accident happened on the Tiruchy-Rameswaram highway. (Screengrab)
Five people, mostly pilgrims, were killed and 19 others were injured when a cement-laden lorry hit two vehicles before knocking down a roadside tea shop at Namanasamudram in the Pudukkottai, the police said on Saturday, 30 December.
The deceased have been identified as B Jaganathan (60), S Santhi (55), and R Gokulkrishnan (26) of Tiruvallur district; S Satish (25) of Chennai, who all died on the spot; and J Suresh (39) of Tiruvallur district who was declared brought dead at Pudukkottai General Hospital.
The accident, which took place in the early hours of the day, caught the devotees who had stopped at the tea stall totally unawares. The driver of the lorry bound for Sivagangai from Ariyalur lost control of the vehicle and hit a car and van before ramming into the tea stall on the Tiruchy-Rameswaram highway, police said.
The devotees from Tiruvallur were on a trip to Om Shakthi Temple, while the van carried Sabarimala pilgrims. Four persons died on the spot, while the fifth succumbed on the way to hospital, police said.
Police and Fire Services personnel rushed to Namanasamudram and extricated the bodies. The injured were taken to Pudukkottai Government Hospital.
A case has been registered.
Chief Minister MK Stalin conveyed his deepest condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and announced a solatium of ₹2 lakh each for the families.
He also announced relief of ₹1 lakh each for the grievously injured and ₹50,000 each for those who sustained minor injuries, according to a release.
Acknowledging the unfortunate accident, Governor Ravi posted on X, saying, “Deeply anguished by the loss of valuable lives in the unfortunate accident when a lorry rammed into a tea stall in Pudukkottai. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.”
Deeply anguished by the loss of valuable lives in the unfortunate accident when a lorry rammed into a tea stall in Pudukkottai. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured.: Governor Ravi
— RAJ BHAVAN, TAMIL NADU (@rajbhavan_tn) December 30, 2023
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
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