Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Eight Engineering Students in Kerala
Fatal Collision in Thrissur District
Thrissur (Kerala): A tragic incident occurred on Friday night, resulting in the deaths of eight engineering students from Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. Their vehicle collided with a lorry that was parked 'illegally' on NH-66 in Thrissur district, according to police reports.
The collision took place around 11:40 PM in Panambikkunnu, Kaipamangalam, as the students were traveling from Guruvayur to Kodungallur. The car struck the rear of a lorry registered in Maharashtra.
As per the First Information Report (FIR), the lorry was improperly parked on the right side of the highway near a barricaded area where traffic had been redirected due to ongoing construction.
Authorities indicated that the car was speeding, and the driver seemingly did not see the diversion barricade before crashing into the lorry.
Six students died at the scene, while two others were pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital.
The victims were all students from an engineering institution in Dindigul, heading towards Kodungallur along NH-66.
Police have identified six of the deceased: Surya, Yuvasanjith, Vishva, and Johua from Dindigul, along with Santhosh and Prasanna from Madurai. The identities of the remaining two victims are still being verified.
Rescue efforts involved local residents, fire and rescue teams, and police, who worked to extract the victims from the wreckage. The bodies were subsequently transported to the mortuary at Thrissur Medical College.
The Kaipamangalam police have filed charges against the lorry driver under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for culpable homicide. Reports indicate that the driver fled the scene following the accident.
Authorities reached out to the families of the deceased using student ID cards found at the scene. Some families were reportedly unaware that their children had traveled to Kerala.
Postmortem procedures will commence once the families arrive at Thrissur Medical College.