Tamil Nadu: Four children playing by roadside die after minivan runs over them

DINDIGUL: Four children of a family were killed and their grandmother injured after a milk van ran over them near Vadamadurai in Dindigul district on Sunday. The children were playing along the road when the accident occurred.

The grandmother, Anjammal (60), wife of Palanichamy, from Kollapatti Samathuvapuram near Vadamadurai, is undergoing intensive treatment at the Dindigul Government Hospital.

The deceased have been identified as Yogavarshini (11) and her younger sister Ananya (6), daughters of Nagaraj; Dhanushree (3), daughter of Jegatheesan; and Moshi Kiran (6), son of Chinnathambi.

According to the police, Anjammal took the goats to graze at the Puthur-Kanavaimedu area around 2 pm on Sunday, accompanied by six children.

After leaving the goats to graze by the roadside, Anjammal and the children sat down on a concrete structure by the side of the road. Anjammal suddenly noticed a milk van travelling at a high speed from the Kollapatti side towards Puthur. When she realised that the van was speeding towards them, Anjammal asked the children to run away.

While two of the girls quickly got up and ran, Anjammal tried to move the others to safety, but it was too late, as the van allegedly rammed into them and fled without stopping, the police said.

All the four children died on the way to the Dindigul Government Hospital in two ambulances.

The van driver Saravanan (29) of Kurundampatti later surrendered before the Vadamadurai police.

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced Rs 3 lakh each to the kin of the four children and Rs 1 lakh to Anjalaiyammal.