8 Tamil Nadu Students Killed in Thrissur Crash
Eight engineering students from Tamil Nadu were killed after their car crashed into a stationary goods lorry on National Highway 66 in Kerala’s Thrissur district late Friday night, police said. The collision occurred at around 11.40 pm at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam.
Thrissur NH-66 Crash Kills Eight Students
The Tamil Nadu-registered car was travelling from Guruvayur towards Kodungallur when it struck the rear of the lorry near a diversion on an under-construction stretch of NH-66.
Police said the students were from Dindigul and were studying at an engineering college. Preliminary reports identified the institution as PSM Engineering College. Rescue personnel had to cut open the severely damaged vehicle to remove the occupants.
Six victims were identified as Surya, Yuvasanjith, Vishva, Johua, Santhosh and Prasanna, while confirmation of the remaining two identities was awaited in the initial police account. The bodies were taken to the mortuary at Thrissur Medical College.
Parked Lorry Under Investigation
According to the FIR, the Maharashtra-registered lorry had allegedly been parked illegally on the right side of the highway near a barricaded section where traffic was being diverted because of construction work.
Police also said preliminary findings indicated that the car was travelling at high speed and apparently failed to notice the diversion before hitting the lorry.
Police Register Case Against Lorry Driver
Kaipamangalam Police registered a case against the lorry driver under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Police said the driver had gone into hiding following the accident.
Authorities contacted the families using student identity cards recovered during the rescue operation. Further investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash is continuing.
