Six die as van hits bus near Salem

SALEM: Six people, including an 11-year-old girl and four women, were killed and five others were injured when a minivan they were travelling in collided with a private bus near Attur on the Chennai-Salem national highway in the early hours of Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as S Saranya, 23, S Suganya, 23, M Sandhiya, 23, A Ramya, 25, A Rajesh, 21, and S Dhanshika Sri, 11.
A police officer said a group of 11 people from Salem and Namakkal districts were returning from Attur in the van after attending the 30th day death ceremony of a relative. "The minivan collided with the bus at Thulakkanur on the national highway around 1.30am. The bus was heading to Chennai from Salem. The van was crossing the road after making a stop at a tea shop when the accident took place," said collector S Karmegam, who visited the accident spot.
Driver didn't notice bus while crossing road
Four women and Rajesh died on the spot while Dhanshika Sri died when she was being rushed to hospital. Injured passengers were admitted to the hospital. Their condition is said to be stable, Karmegam said. Preliminary investigation revealed that minivan driver A Rajesh didn't notice the bus while crossing the road. The Attur town police registered a case.