Five persons were killed and one was injured when a speeding car proceeding to Courtallam rammed into an oncoming bus near Pattamadai on July 7 night.

The police said a group of six persons – A. Maria Antony alias Panneer Selvam, 47, of T. Saveriyarpuram under Thaazhamuthu Nagar police station limits in Thoothukudi district, his friends R. Madasamy, 42, of Matha Nagar, also under Thaazhamuthu Nagar police station limits, S. Xavier, 44, J. Nicholas, 40, and Arul Mani, 51, all from T. Saveriyarpuram, and Mariappan, 41, from Mela Munneerpallam near Palayamkottai — were going to Courtallam in a car. While Madasamy ran a grocery shop, others were fishermen.

When they were crossing Pattamadai on the Palayamkottai-Ambasamudram Highway shortly after 11 p.m., the speeding car rammed into an oncoming private bus coming to Tirunelveli from Papanasam.

Panneer Selvam, Madasamy, Xavier, Nicholas and Mariappan were killed on the spot while Arul Mani escaped with fractures and a few bleeding injuries. Arul Mani was sent to the hospital immediately as a ‘108 ambulance’ crossed the spot at that time.

While the bodies were sent to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem, Mr. Arul Mani is undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Police suspect that reckless driving under the influence of alcohol could have caused the accident.

The Pattamadai police have registered a case.