Thrissur: At least five people, including two children, were killed and as many persons injured when a truck ploughed into the roadside tent where they were sleeping on the roadside in Nattika in Thrissur district of Kerala early on Tuesday, police said.
The victims, nomads living in tents set up along the highway, were struck by the truck on a national highway in Nattika, under the Valapad police station limits, at 4.30 am, they said. Among the deceased are two children, aged one-and-a-half and four years. Two women were also killed. The injured have been admitted to Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital, with the condition of two individuals reported as serious, police said.
The vehicle involved in the accident did not stop initially but was intercepted by locals on the national highway. The police were informed after the lorry was halted.
According to the police, the accident occurred when the lorry crossed a barricade and veered into the area where the victims were sleeping. All five victims died on the spot.
The driver, Jose (54), and cleaner, Alex (33), both from Alankode, Kannur, have been arrested. Police confirmed that Alex, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident, was under the influence of alcohol and did not possess a valid driver's license.
A detailed investigation into the incident is underway. The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to the hospital for post-mortem examination. (With agency inputs).
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