Thanjavur: In a tragic incident, three people from Kerala were killed and 41 others injured on Sunday after the tourist bus carrying them overturned in Tamil Nadu's Velankanni. The accident took place in the early hours of Sunday. The victims were part of a group of 51 people from Kerala's Thrissur and they left their native place on Saturday evening for visiting the Velankanni Church in Tamil Nadu. Fire and Rescue Department personnel from Orathanadu and Mannargudi areas reached the spot and rescued the victims.
A woman and an eight-year-old child are among the dead. According to the information, the bus overturned while negotiating a sharp curve at a place near Velankanni. The pilgrims suspect that the bus driver must have fallen asleep. The bodies were shifted to the Orthanadu Government General Hospital for post-mortem. The injured were rushed to the Thanjavur Government Medical College Hospital. Later, a police team headed by Orathanadu DSP Prasanna and Police Inspector Anbazagan launched a probe into the accident.
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A similar incident took place last month, several people, including the driver of a bus, carrying Sabarimala pilgrims from Tamil Nadu were injured after the vehicle fell into a deep gorge in the Nilakkal Ilavunkal area of Kerala. An official said that the accident took place when the bus was on its way from Sabarimala where the pilgrims had the darshan.
The bus carrying at least 62 pilgrims skidded off the surface on the Nilakkal Erumeli Road and fell into a deep gorge. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. In the mishap, several pilgrims, including the driver of the bus were injured, an official said. He further said that seven children were among the injured in the accident.
