CHENNAI: A 48-year-old man was killed, and 18 others were injured after an Omnibus travelling from Karur to Chennai crashed into a borewell tractor and overturned on the Tiruchy-Chennai National Highway near Maduranthakam in the early hours of Thursday.

The police said the sleeper bus had departed Karur on Wednesday night with 36 passengers. When the bus was nearing Arappedu village near Maduranthakam, it rammed into a borewell lorry moving ahead of it after the borewell vehicle suddenly slowed down.

As a result of the collision, the bus lost control and overturned into a roadside drain. Onlookers immediately alerted the police and began rescue efforts to pull out the injured passengers from the damaged vehicle.

In the accident, Chellamuthu (48), a resident of Karur, died on the spot. Around 18 passengers sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital and Maduranthagam Government Hospital for treatment.

A police team from the Acharapakkam station reached the spot and shifted the victim's body to the Chengalpattu Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.

A case has been registered, and an investigation is under way to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. Following the incident, the traffic on the National Highway was affected for nearly an hour in the morning.