Five persons were killed and 12 others injured as a mini lorry carrying 18 people fell into a 50-foot gorge at Kadamparai in Coimbatore on Wednesday.
All passengers in the vehicle were from Mavadappu, a tribal settlement near the Kadamparai hydroelectric power plant, which is located inside the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR).
The police said that V. Rajan, 40, of Kulipatti, who did not have a driving licence, was behind the wheel. He sustained injuries his legs, hands and head. The accident occured around 11 p.m. when the mini lorry was returning to the settlement from the market at Kottur where they went to make their weekly purchases.
The police said the driver lost control of the vehicle as it reached the ninth bend near the power station. The names of the dead were given as V. Selvi, 32; her husband S. Vellaiyan, 45; J. Mallappan, 36; P. Raman, 45; and K. Thannasi, 34, all hailing from Kurumalai, Mavadappu.
Of the 12 injured in the accident, eight were women.
Lack of transportation
Relatives of the injured told The Hindu that they often depended on mini trucks to reach the tribal settlement due to lack of transportation facilities. “There are three bus services in that connect Kadamparai to the outside world,” said the relative of an injured victim.