Eight engineering students from Tamil Nadu’s Dindigul district were killed when their car collided with a lorry parked on National Highway 66 in Kerala’s Thrissur district late Friday night.
The Chenab Times has learned that the accident occurred around 11:40 p.m. at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam, while the car was travelling from Guruvayur towards Kodungallur. Police reports indicate the car struck the rear of a Maharashtra-registered lorry that was allegedly parked illegally on the right side of the highway. The collision took place near a barricaded section where traffic had been diverted due to ongoing construction work.
Students travelling to Kodungallur
According to an FIR registered by the Kaipamangalam police, the car was moving at a high speed, and its driver apparently failed to notice the diversion barricade before impact. Six of the students were declared dead at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries upon arrival at a nearby hospital. All eight deceased were students at an engineering college in Dindigul.
The victims were identified as Surya, Yuvasanjith, Joshua, Murali, and Jeeva, all from Dindigul; Santhosh and Prasanna from Madurai; and Vishva from Salem. Rescue operations, involving local residents, fire and rescue personnel, and police, were initiated to extricate the students from the heavily damaged car.
The bodies were subsequently transferred to the mortuary at Thrissur Medical College. Kaipamangalam police have initiated a case against the lorry driver under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, pertaining to culpable homicide. The driver reportedly fled the scene immediately after the accident. Police were able to contact the families of the deceased by using student identity cards recovered from the victims, with some families expressing surprise that their children had travelled to Kerala.
Investigation into driver’s fault and highway conditions
Relatives informed the police that Santhosh had recently acquired a car, and the group had planned a trip to Kochi. However, as the car’s registration was not yet complete, they opted to hire a rented vehicle for their journey. Postmortem examinations were conducted at Thrissur Medical College, and relatives arrived to claim the bodies, with hospital authorities arranging ambulances for their transport back to their native places.
Thrissur Rural District Police Chief Mohammad Nadeemuddin stated that a preliminary investigation strongly suggested the accident was a result of the lorry driver’s negligence. “It is definitely a mistake on the part of the lorry driver. An FIR has already been registered,” he said. Nadeemuddin added that the investigation would also examine the role of highway authorities and the contractor responsible for the construction work, promising strict action if any lapses were found.
The police chief confirmed that the lorry driver was absconding but the vehicle’s owner had been identified, and efforts were underway to apprehend the driver. He noted that despite the presence of a highway patrol unit in the area, instances of lorry drivers parking their vehicles and leaving the spot were not uncommon. “Definitely, parking should not be done here,” Nadeemuddin emphasized, adding that the investigation would verify if adequate signboards were installed by the highway authorities and contractors.
The investigation into the case has been assigned to the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Kodungallur, who will conduct a thorough inquiry. “Legal action has been initiated, and an FIR has already been registered. Given the gravity of the case, we have designated the deputy SP of Kodungallur as the investigating officer. There will be a thorough investigation, and immediate and strict action will be taken against whoever is at fault. Necessary preventive measures will be taken by the police,” Nadeemuddin assured reporters.
The Chenab Times News Desk