Kottayam: A 10-year-old girl died and several others were injured on Friday when their mini-bus went off the road and overturned at Erumely of Kerala's Kottayam district en route to Sabarimala from Chennai for the ongoing annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage, police said. The deceased has been identified as Sanghamitra, a native of Tambaram in Tamil Nadu. Police said the accident took place around 3:15 pm on Mundakayam-Erumely National Highway when the vehicle was trying to navigate a treacherous hairpin curve there which is prone to accidents. "A lot of accidents take place here as the road goes steep downhill right after the hairpin curve," police said.
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The police said it was believed that the mechanical failure of the mini-bus was the cause of the accident, but it was not confirmed. There were 20 pilgrims, including five children, and the driver in the bus, police said, adding that 12 people were admitted to the nearby medical college for treatment. "No one else suffered any major injuries," police said.
