CHENNAI: Villagers of Mochery in the outskirts of the state capital blocked the Chennai-Tiruchy National Highway near Maduranthakam demanding a Footover Bridge (FoB) for crossing the National Highway citing high incidences of accidents, killing local people.

The villagers alleged that people met with accidents frequently while crossing the highway, making the installation of the footover bridge a most immediate need.

On Saturday Jayakumar and his wife Vijayalakshi of Mochery village while travelling on their bike were knocked over by a lorry on the National Highway and both of them died on the spot, suffering severe head injuries.

After the incident, the villagers gathered in the Chennai-Trichy National highway on Saturday morning and protested that accidents are taking place frequently in the same location.

They said that people cannot even cross the road and so far in the last few years more than 30 people have lost their lives while crossing the road in Mochery village. The villagers said that they requested the Highways to construct a FOB but there were no steps taken by them.

The villagers who gathered in large numbers started to raise slogans against the highways department by blocking the NH. The Maduranthakam police and the Revenue officials who visited the spot held peace talks with the villagers. They promised that steps would be taken to construct a FoB.