TIRUCHY: One died while 20 sustained injuries after the tyre of a van in which they were travelling had a burst on the way in Thanjavur on Monday.

A group of 21 persons from Cholanallur in Tiruvarur went to Pattukkottai in Thanjavur on Monday to attend a funeral in a passenger van. When they were nearing Soorappallam near Pattukkottai, one of the tyres of the vehicle had a burst and the driver lost his control of the vehicle and the van toppled.

On hearing the noise, the public ran to the spot and rescued the trapped passengers and rushed them to Pattukkottai GH. However, Shanmugasundaram (32) succumbed to his injuries despite treatment.

While 20 persons including Meganathan (24) Regina (24), Prasad (31), Karuppiah (80), Kalimuthu (19), Muniyamma (55), Sathivel (24), Prema (33) and Muthulakshmi (40) sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment in Pattukkottai GH and Thanjavur Medical College Hospital, Pattukkottai police registered a case and are investigating.