CHENNAI: A ten-year-old boy riding pillion with his father died after a speeding water tanker rammed into their two-wheeler near Pallikaranai in the city's suburbs on Sunday morning. The boy's father survived with injuries.

The deceased was identified as S Ram (10). Ram was riding pillion with his father, Subramani (39), a techie, from their house in Vengaivaasal near Medavakkam to Pallikaranai to attend a Chess tournament.

The police stated that the accident happened around 8.30 am on Velachery Main Road. The private water tanker was trailing Subramani's bike. Subramani swerved hard to avoid colliding into a two-wheeler coming in the opposite direction. The tanker, which was trailing, could not be brought to a halt and rammed into Subramani's bike, the police said.

The impact threw Subramani off the bike, while Ram fell under the wheels of the tanker and was crushed to death on the spot. Subramani sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.

The police also noted that both the man and his son wore helmets. Ram's body was later sent to the Tambaram Government Hospital for post-mortem examination and handed over to his family.

The water tanker has been seized, and a case has been registered. Further investigations are under way.