Chennai, August 17: Seven people, including four members of a family and a five-month-old child, were crushed to death and four injured in two different gruesome road accidents in a city suburb and neighbouring Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu at the wee hours of today.
The tragedy had it that in both the accidents, the victims were returning after offering worship at Amman Temples, visited by people in large numbers during this Tamil month of “Aadi”, considered auspicious for seeking the blessings of different Amman Goddesses.
Police said 21 people, hailing from the fishing hamlets of Nadukuppam and Nochikuppam in the city were returning home after offering worship at the Bhavani Amman Temple at suburban Periyapalayam, when the van in which they were travelling, collided with a truck at around 0230 hrs at Redhill in the city outskirts.
The driver of the van was trying to overtake a truck, carrying buffalos, when the mishap occured. To avoid dashing against an oncoming vehicle, the driver swerved sharply to his left, only to dash against the buffalo ladden truck.
Two men, aged 25 years and 30 years of Nadukuppam died on the spot, while another man Kalaiarasan (30) of Nochikuppam and a five-month-old boy Navadesh succumbed to the injuries in the hospital. The driver, Sudagar (25), escaped with minor injuries, police added.
In another accident, three people, including two construction workers, travelling in a two-wheeler were killed, when they were hit by a truck near Uttiramerur in Kancheepuram district. They were returning after offering worship at Kanni Amman Temple at Manapakkam, when the mishap occured at around 0100 hrs, police said.
The victims were identified as Rajalingam (26), Sathyaseelan (23) and Govindan (35). After knocking down the two-wheeler, the empty truck overturned. Three people, who were in the truck suffered injuries and they were admitted to Chengalpattu Government Hospital, police added.
—-Agencies