Sand lorry ploughs through TNSTC bus near Salem killing six, injuring 16

A TNSTC bus with nearly 50 passengers was heading from Mettur in Salem district to Tirupathur in Vellore through Mecheri and Thoppur. A sand laden-truck speeding from Salem to Hosur on Friday morning ploughed through the bus.

Police said that the bus driver took the left turn at the Mecheri Road-National Highway junction when the lorry rammed into the middle of the bus just behind the bus driver. The impact was such that the bus spun and stopped across the road. The right side of the bus was badly damaged crushing five passengers to death on the spot. 

The deceased were identified as Baghyam (65), Selvi (43) and Marimuthu (50, a woman) of Mecheri and Chinnadurai (30) of Karukalvadi and Pilavendran (62) of Mettur. Arulmozhi (35) from Salem admitted to a private hospital at Omalur succumbed to injuries. Seventeen others including drivers of the bus and lorry who were injured were rushed to government and private hospitals in Salem and Dharmapuri. Salem District Collector V. Sampath visited the patients admitted in the Salem Government Hospital. He consoled them and said, “Financial assistance will be given to the families of those who are killed in the accident and to those who are injured.” The Collector also visited the accident scene, where people of the locality alleged that it was an accident prone zone. Addressing reporters, the Collector said that the place will be assessed by the highways, police and district administration and appropriate measures would be taken without delay to reduce the recurrence of accidents there. Sampath said that to begin with caution boards will be placed near the junction and speed breakers will be laid on the Mecheri Road close to the junction connecting the National Highway. The Salem District Police registered a case and were investigating.