TIRUCHY: As many as four devotees bound for Velankanni from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala died on the spot, and three sustained severe injuries after their van collided with a TNSTC bus at Thiruthuraipoondi in Tiruvarur on Sunday.
It is said that a group of eight persons from Thiruvananthapuram were travelling in an omnivan to Velankanni, and R Sathinath (27) from Thiruvananthapuram was driving the vehicle.
When they were nearing Karuveppancheri near Thiruthuraipoondi in Tiruvarur at the ECR in the morning hours, the van driver was believed to have dozed off and thereby lost control.
The van hit a TNSTC bus bound for Ramanathapuram from Nagapattinam, in which the driver Sajunath, the occupants R Rajesh (34), R Rahul (29), R Sajuth(37) died on the spot while Sabu (25), Sunil (35) and Rajinish (40) sustained severe injuries.
The passersby rushed to the spot and rescued the injured, and sent them to the Tiruvarur Medical College hospital.
On information, the Edayur police rushed to the spot and retrieved the bodies and sent them to the Tiruvarur Medical College hospital.
Meanwhile, the SP Karun Garad, Nagapattinam Regional TNSTC General Manager Raja, visited the spot and conducted an inquiry.
The initial investigation by the police found that the group of devotees were construction workers from Thiruvananthapuram, and they were heading to Velankanni after completing work.
Meanwhile, the police are in the process of contacting the family members of the deceased and the injured.