india

Updated: Jul 18, 2019 18:03 IST

At least 16 people including two children were killed in two different road accidents at Villupuram and Thoothukkudi districts of Tamil Nadu in the early hours of Thursday.

While 10 people died in a collision between a private bus and a van near Kallakkurichi in Villupuram district, six passengers died near Thoothukkudi when the van they were travelling in plunged into a roadside pit.

“Around 2.45 am, a pick-up van carrying 14 contract workers of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) to Kangeyam from Chennai crashed into a private bus headed to Chennai from Coimbatore carrying 26 passengers,” said a police officer associated with Kallakkurichi police station, he added that the accident took place on the flyover at Anna Nagar, Emaper by-pass near Kallakkurichi of Villupuram district.

While eight of the ten victims died on the spot, one person died on the way to the hospital and another died at the Mundiambakkam Government Medical College Hospital in Villupuram. Several others with serious injuries have been admitted in Salem, Villupuram government hospitals for treatment, said a police officer.

Seven of the deceased are TNEB’s contract workers from Jharkhand and the police are waiting for the contractor from Madurai to identify them.

The second accident that killed six people took place near Thoothukkudi when a van plunged into a roadside pit.

“A group of 18 people were on their way to Thiruchendur from Thiruthangal in Villupuram district. After crossing Karungulam village, the driver lost control over the van. As the van toppled, six people including two children died on the spot. People who sustained serious injuries are undergoing treatment at Tirunelveli Government hospital,” said Seythunganallur police sources in Thoothukkudi.

The bodies of the deceased in this case have been sent to Tirunelveli GH for post-mortem.

Police sources say that ‘sleepy driver’ were responsible were both the accidents, however, further details will only emerge after preliminary investigations in both accidents.