A major road accident in Tamil Nadu’s Sivaganga district on Sunday claimed the lives of 11 people and left about 40 others injured, police confirmed. The district is located nearly 460 km from the state capital Chennai.
The fatal collision occurred near Tirupathur in Sivaganga district when two government RTC buses crashed head-on. Eyewitnesses stated that overspeeding by both vehicles led to the mishap. Among those killed, nine were women.
The accident took place five kilometres from Pillaiyarpatti. Police rushed to the spot immediately and launched rescue operations. Several passengers trapped inside the mangled buses were pulled out with difficulty. Preliminary reports indicate that one bus was travelling from Tiruppur to Karaikudi, while the other was headed from Karaikudi toward Dindigul.
Officials fear the death toll may rise further, as some of the injured are in critical condition. In the immediate aftermath, some women reportedly jumped out of the buses in panic. Emergency teams shifted the injured to nearby hospitals and the road was left heavily bloodstained.
Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident. More details are awaited.