Perambalur (Tamil Nadu) [India], February 1 : Three college students were killed and three others seriously injured after a car and a tourist bus collided near Tittakudi in Cuddalore district, officials informed Sunday.
The deceased students' bodies have been kept at the Perambalur Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed as relatives and friends who arrived at the hospital broke down in grief, leaving onlookers deeply moved.
According to police sources, six students studying at a private JSA Agricultural College near Avatti were travelling in a car. Around 3:30 am, they went to the Thirumanthurai toll plaza area in Perambalur district for tea and were returning to their college.
While travelling on the Trichy-Chennai National Highway near Thozhudur, the car reportedly lost control, crossed the central median, and entered the opposite lane. The car then collided head-on with a tourist bus that was travelling from Veppur towards Perambalur on the Chennai-Trichy route.
In the impact, three students -- Dharani Selvan (20) from Chengalpattu, Nishanth (20) from Chidambaram, and Vinayagamurthy (20) from Tiruvannamalai -- died on the spot.
Three other students travelling in the car -- Madhu Priyan (20) from Trichy, Sasikumar (20) from Tiruvannamalai, and Rakesh (20) from Tindivanam -- sustained serious injuries. They have been admitted to hospitals in Trichy and Perambalur for treatment.
Police have registered a case and are investigating the exact cause of the accident.
Earlier atleast four women devotees were killed while another woman sustained injuries after a car hit a group of pilgrims walking to the Samayapuram Mariamman Temple near Siruvachur in Perambalur district on Saturday.