PERAMBALUR: Three college students were killed, and three others seriously injured after a car and a tourist bus collided near Tittakudi in Cuddalore district, officials informed on Sunday. The deceased students' bodies have been kept at the PerambalurGovernment Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed as relatives and friends who arrived at the hospital broke down in grief, leaving onlookers deeply moved. According to police sources, six students studying at a private JSA Agricultural College near Avatti were travelling in a car. Around 3:30 am, they went to the Tirumanthurai toll plaza area in Perambalur district for tea and were returning to their college. While travelling on the Tiruchy-Chennai National Highway near Thozhudur, the car reportedly lost control, crossed the central median, and entered the opposite lane. The car then collided head-on with a tourist bus that was travelling from Veppur towards Perambalur on the Chennai-Trichy route.
In the impact, three students -- Dharani Selvan (20) from Chengalpattu, Nishanth (20) from Chidambaram, and Vinayagamurthy (20) from Tiruvannamalai -- died on the spot. Three other students travellingin the car -- Madhu Priyan (20) from Tiruchy, Sasikumar ( 20) from Tiruvannamalai, and Rakesh (20) from Tindivanam-- sustained serious injuries. They have been admitted to hospitals in Tiruchy and Perambalur for treatment. Police have registered a case and are investigating the exact cause of the accident.