Thoothukudi
Two youngsters were killed in a van-bike collision near Srivaikundam on Monday.
S. Swaminathan, 18, a first-year undergraduate student of a private arts college in Tiruchendur, and his friend, V. Ashok Ganesh, 18, went on a bike trip to Tirunelveli.
When they reached Puthukudi near Srivaikundam, their bike was involved in a head-on collision with a van. Following the impact, the bike went up in flames.
Ashok Ganesh succumbed to his burns, while Swaminathan also died on the spot.
The police arrested van driver, P. Sudalai, 49, of Rajapathi near Gangaikondan in Tirunelveli district, and are conducting an inquiry. Traffic was hit for about an hour on the Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur highway due to the accident.