Six, including two children, killed in car collision on Tirunelveli-Kanniyakumari highway

TIRUNELVELI: At least six people, including two children, were killed in a collision involving two cars on the Tirunelveli-Kanniyakumari National Highway at Thalapathisamuthiram village near Nanguneri on Sunday evening.

Collector Dr R Sukumar told reporters that the bodies of a child, two women, and a man were taken to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH), while the bodies of one child and a man were taken to the Kanniyakumari Government Medical College Hospital (KGMCH). Police did not confirm the identities of the deceased till 10pm.

Police said Mariappan of Anjugramam village in Kanniyakumari had visited the Nellaiappar temple in Tirunelveli in a car accompanied by his wife, and their two children. While they were on their way back, their vehicle rammed into the median of the four-lane highway, veered into the opposite lane, and collided head-on with another car driven by Thanishkumar.

Thenishkumar was travelling towards Tirunelveli with his mother, wife, and two children. Police said of the nine people travelling in the two cars, four died on the spot. Police are inquiring with Mariappan, who survived with injuries on the leg.

Fire and rescue services personnel sent the injured to TvMCH and KGMCH respectively. Due to the accident, traffic on the busy Tirunelveli-Kanniyakumari highway was disrupted for nearly an hour.