ACCIDENT

 

Car plunges 40ft, 7 medical students killed

 Car plunges 40ft, 7 medical students killed

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Soumitra Bose & Balwant Dhage

TNN

26.01.2022

Nagpur/Wardha: Seven medical students returning from a birthday celebration were killed in Maharashtra's Wardha around midnight on Monday when their car plunged 40ft from a bridge in-

to the dry, rocky bed of the Badhari river along DeoliWardha Road. State BJP MLA Vijay Rahangdale's son Avishkar, a first-year MBBS student, was among the dead.

All seven victims were students of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences at Sawangi in Wardha. It took a nightlong operation for their bodies to be retrieved from the wreckage, the police said.

PM Narendra Moditweeted his condolences to the bereaved families on Tuesday and announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for each life lost in the tragedy.

Barring Avishkar, whose father is the MLA from Tirora in Gondia, the rest of the deceased were from Bihar, UP and Odisha. They had travelled to Yavatmal, around 69km from Wardha, in intern Neetesh Singh's car to celebrate first-year student Pawan Shakti's birthday. The accident occurred on the return journey, around 20km before Wardha.

Several pilgrims fell, people walked over them to escape

 ‘Several pilgrims fell, people walked over them to escape’

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02.02.2022

The deceased were identified as Dheeraj Kumar, 26, of Nowsherain J&K’s Rajouri; Sheweta Singh, 35, of Ghaziabad, UP; Delhi residents Vinay Kumar and Sonu Pandey, both 24; Mamta, 38, of Jhajjar, Haryana; Dharamvir Singh, 35, of Saharanpur, UP; Vaneet Singh, 38, also of Saharanpur; and Arun Pratap of Gorakhpur, UP," a spokesperson of shrine’s board said.

Two  bodies were sent by air and nine by road to their native places, while one will be airlifted on Sunday morning from Jammu.  The treatment cost of the injured will be borne by the shrine board.  The Lt Governor, who chairs the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, ordered a high-level inquiry into the stampede that officials said  occurred after a rush of devotees entering and exiting the temple converged near the narrow gate, leading to a suffocating crush as people tried to get away from the spot. According to eyewitnesses, several men and women fell and people walked over them to escape the m elee. 

Most of the pilgrims have walked1 2km through a steep, winding mountain trek from the base camp of Katra, a small town 50km from Jammu, early on Saturday to pray at the shrine. Officials said there was a heavy rush since it was New Year’s Day and more so as the train  service to Katra resumed lately following its suspension because of the farmers’ protests in Punjab. A shrine board official said 35,000 pilgrims were allowed to proceed for the yatra on December 31 and January 1 as against the National Green Tribunal’s cap of 50,000 a day, keeping in view the pandemic.

Pilgrims are allowed in a file inside the cave and there’s a constant flow to avoid overcrowding. "But people probably stayed a bit too long at the temple, crowding the space. As more pilgrims entered, the place got congested and there was a rush to get out. That chaos soon turned into tragedy," an eyewitness said.

President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Narendra Modi led a shocked nation in offering condolences to the families of the dead and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. "Extremely saddened by the loss of lives…" Modi wrote on Twitter and announced a compensation package. Junior minister in the PMO, Jitendra Singh, dashed to Katra to take  stock of the situation. UP CM Yo gi Adityanath and his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal a lso expressed grief over the tragedy.

12 pilgrims die as New Yr rush sparks Vaishno Devi stampede

Scuffle Between Two Groups Led To Chaos: Board

Jammu: At least 12 pilgrims were crushed to death and 16 injured on New Year’s Day in the biggest tragedy at Mata Vaishno Devi temple as a crowd surge led to a stampede around 2.15am near gate No. 3 outside the sanctum sanctorum of the popular cave shrine in the Trikuta hills of Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.

The tragedy happened “due to a scuffle between two groups of pilgrims”, the shrine’s board said in a statement without giving more details.

Officials said authorities responded quickly, order within the crowd was restored and the pilgrimage resumed after nearly four hours of the early morning tragedy.

Rescue teams evacuated the injured to various hospitals. Nine of them at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi NarayanaSuper- specialty Hospital, Kakryal, were discharged during the day, while the rest are undergoing treatment and their condition is said to be stable.

Of the 12 dead, the identity of four people were not known till the filing of this report. “The deceased were identified as Dheeraj Kumar, 26; Sheweta Singh, 35; Vinay Kumar and Sonu Pandey, both 24; Mamta, 38; Dharamvir Singh, 35; Vaneet Singh, 38; and Arun Pratap,” a spokesperson of shrine’s board said.

 

Bus driver gets 190 yrs in jail for crash that killed 22 in MP

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TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bhopal:

02.02.2022

Six years after a bus accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna killed 22 people, many of them migrant labourers, a local court sentenced the driver to190 years of imprisonment — 10 years each on 19 counts. The sentences will run separately, said the court order. This is perhaps the first time that a driver in a fatal accident has got such a prison sentence.

Driver Shamshuddin, 47, was convicted for culpable homicide and rash driving. The bus owner was also punished with 10 years’ imprisonment, said assistant public prosecutor officer Kapil Vyas. On May 4, 2015, a passenger bus carrying 65 people plunged into a dry canal near Madla hill and caught fire, killing 22 people and injuring a dozen.

During the investigation, it was found that the emergency exit was blocked by iron rods and an addi- tional seat was mounted in its place. Passengers were trapped in the inferno and those killed were burnt beyond recognition.

Shamshuddin was accused of driving recklessly despite passengers’ requests to slow down. He and the bus owner Gyandendra Pandey are residents of Satna, where the bus was headed. The accused were booked under IPC sections 304 (a) (death due to negligence), 304 (culpable homicide), 279 and 337 (both for rash driving), and under section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act. After the investigation was over, the trial started in the court of special judge R P Sonkar.

2 medicos among 3 dead in accident

3 OTHERS WOUNDED

2 medicos among 3 dead in accident

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Tirunelveli:05.12.2021

Three people, including two fourth year MBBS students of government Tirunelveli medical college hospital, died in an accident on Saturday morning when an SUV collided with their scooter at Reddiarpatti on the Madurai-Kanyakumari highway. A passenger seated next to the SUV’s driver also died on the spot. A third classmate, who was also riding pillion on the scooter, the driver of the SUV and another passenger were hospitalised with grievous injuries.

Police said the speeding SUV, which was heading for Tuticorin from Nagercoil, hit the median at a turn about 500m from Reddiarpatti Hill. “It rolled over a couple of times and stopped on the other side of the road where it hit the three students on a scooter,” deputy commissioner of police T P Suresh Kumar told TOI.

Students P Divya Gayathri, 21, of Avudayanoor in Tenkasi district and R Freeda Angelin Rani, 23, of Parasurampatti in Madurai, and passenger Shanmugasundaram, 41, of Kottar in Kanyakumari district died on the spot. K Divya Bala, 21, who was seated third on the scooter, sustained critical injuries to the head and thoracic area and was under ventilator support and but is said to be stable. Car driver Santhosh Kumar, 45, and another passenger were also out of danger. Santhosh Kumar was booked under various IPC sections including rash driving and causing death due to negligence.

Police said the women who were in uniform attended class till 9.45am. Their sudden deaths left their fellow students in tears as the bodies of the women were brought to the hospital for autopsy. Suresh Kumar said a committee will probe the accident and submit a report to the police commissioner.

Dead woman and daughter were in city for yoga course

KIA ACCIDENT

Dead woman and daughter were in city for yoga course

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bengaluru:20.11.2021

A 57-year-old woman from Kolkata and her London-based daughter, 38, were among three persons killed on Thursday night when an SUV jumped the median on KIA expressway and crashed into their cab.

Poornima Ravindra, a school teacher, and her daughter Lakshmi Ravindra, an advocate, were on their way to Kempegowda International Airport in the cab. The two women and the driver, Raghavendra Ural, 45, of Bannerghatta, died on the spot.

Police said Poornima and Lakshmi were from Kerala and their family had settled down in Kolkata. Lakshmi went to Kolkata on a holiday and the motherdaughter duo left for Bengaluru to attend a week-long yoga course. The course was supposed to end on Saturday, but the women decided to leave two days earlier and took Ural’s cab to the airport to return to Kolkata.

Around 9pm, an SUV driven by MBA student Bharath BR, 22, jumped the median near Chikkajala, flipped in the air, and landed on Ural’s cab that was coming from the opposite direction. Police had to cut open the vehicles to remove the bodies.

Bharath and his friend Vikas, 25, who was also in the SUV, sustained severe injuries.

According to police, there was heavy rain at the time of the accident.

TRAGIC JOURNEY: The mangled remains of the vehicle in which the mother and daughter were travelling to KIA on Thursday

Car crushed, newly weds die

Car crushed, newly weds die

Chennai:  02.11.2021

In a tragic turn of events, a newly wed couple died in a ghastly accident at Kadambathur in Tiruvallur district after a multi axle concrete mixer truck toppled over their car on Sunday night.

The deceased — Manoj Kumar, 31, of Arakkonam and Karthika, 30, of Perungalathur — had tied the knot on October 28.

On Sunday, the two were driving back from a gathering organised by Karthika’s relatives. On reaching Kadambathur at 9.45 pm, they were hit by a concrete mixer truck plying on the opposite side towards Chennai. The truck driver reportedly lost control while negotiating a curve. The high-impact collision caused the truck to topple and fall on the car crushing the couple to death. The truck driver fled the scene . A few passersby alerted police.

A crane was brought to remove the dead bodies from the mangled car. The Mappedu police registered a case and the bodies have been sent to Tiruvallur Government Hospital. Police are trying to trace the driver using the registration number of the truck. TNN

Boy mistakes train exit door as toilet’s, falls to his death

Boy mistakes train exit door as toilet’s, falls to his death

Kottayam:13.10.2021

A 10-year-old boy was killed after he fell from a moving train near Kottayam in Kerala on Tuesday. It is suspected that the boy mistook the train’s exit door for that of the toilet, leading to the accident.

Mohammed Ishan, son of one Siddique of Mambadu in Malappuram, met with the accident around 12:30am at Moolavattom in Kottayam municipal limits. The boy and his family along with other relatives were returning to Malappuram from Thiruvananthapuram by Kochuveli-Nilambur Rajya Rani Express when the mishap occurred. The boy had gone to the toilet, according to family members. After realising that the boy had fallen down, they pulled the chain and stopped the train.

People staying near the railway track searched the area and found the boy lying under a culvert. The boy was taken to the general hospital but his life could not be saved. TNN

TNSTC told to pay ₹30 lakh to kin of MTC conductor

TNSTC told to pay ₹30 lakh to kin of MTC conductor

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:20.10.2021

A motor accident claims tribunal has directed the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) to compensate ₹30 lakh to the family of a MTC bus conductor who was killed after a rashly driven government bus knocked him down near Peramanur along GST Road.

According to the petitioners, the deceased, K Moorthy and his brother were waiting at the bus stop when the rashly driven government bus smashed into them. The accident happened on May 26, 2015 and Moorthy died of his injuries the next day.

The family moved the tribunal claiming a compensation of ₹32 lakh. In response, the transport corporation denied the claims and contended that the accident happened due to the negligence of the pedestrian and the version of events as claimed by the petitioners is incorrect.

According to TNSTC, the bus was moving at a moderate speed observing traffic rules, when the pedestrian crossed the road leading to the accident. The bus was coming from Cuddalore towards Chennai.

After perusing submissions from all sides, the tribunal held that the accident happened due to the negligence of the TNSTC bus driver and stated that it is liable to pay compensation.

3 dead, 5 hurt as auto overturns on GST Road

3 dead, 5 hurt as auto overturns on GST Road

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:23.09.2021

A pastor was among the three people who died on Tuesday night when the share autorickshaw they were travelling in hit a median on GST Road near Tambaram and overturned. Five other passengers were left injured and the auto driver is on the run.

The auto was on its way to Perungalathur bus stop from Tambaram with eight passengers around 10.30pm when the driver, who was speeding on GST Road, had to make a sharp turn to avoid colliding with an incoming private bus. However, he lost control of the vehicle and hit the median. This caused the auto to overturn. In the impact, Issac Raj, 51, a pastor from Cuddalore, Sundar Raj, 31, and Nagamuthu, 36, of Puducherry died on the spot after sustaining head injuries.

Police said passengers Ezhumalai, Anand Kumar, Rajinikanth two others were left injured and were taken to Chromepet government hospital. Anand Kumar and Rajinikanth were shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Police said Nagamuthu had come to Chennai to invite a relative to his wedding next month. He had planned to reach Puducherry on Tuesday and was on his way to Perungalathur to board the bus.

The Chromepet traffic investigation police have registered a case of causing death due to negligence and a search is on to nab the driver. Witnesses said he too sustained injuries, but managed to flee from the scene. Police are also checking CCTV camera footage from the spot.

About two weeks ago, five youngsters who were speeding on GST Road died after colliding with a parked truck . Many commuters complained that vehicles are not being checked for going over the speed limit on this stretch and this has led to many accidents. Motorists also said share autos routinely flout safety norms by overcrowding their vehicles.

DRIVER AT LARGE: Police said the share auto’s driver was speeding and had to take a sharp turn to avoid colliding with a private bus when the accident took place

Man runs over girl, tries to implicate his driver

UNDONE BY CCTV

Man runs over girl, tries to implicate his driver

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.09.2021

Police have arrested a man who ran over a twoand-half-year-old girl child at T Nagar and tried to implicate his driver. Ajay Subramanian was nabbed with the help of CCTV camera footage and the statement of the child’s parents. Police said Jayaraman and Chitra of Royapettah were going with son Barghav, 6, and daughter Thanshika when a car hit their bike from behind on South Boag Road and all four fell down. They were rushed to Government Royapettah Hospital from where Thanshika was shifted to a hospital in Nungambakkam where she died.

The Pondy Bazaar police were registering a case when a man surrendered, claiming responsibility.

The couple, however, said it was the wrong man and police, after checking CCTV camera footage, arrested Ajay Subramanian.

Passerby steals bag of dying accident victim on GST Road

Passerby steals bag of dying accident victim on GST Road

Cops Trying To Trace Culprit Using CCTV Footage

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.09.2021

Minutes after a man was run over by a car on GST Road at Tambaram early on Wednesday, another man walking by didn’t stop to help the victim lying in a pool of blood but instead stole his bag.

Police said they hoped to nab the man with the help of CCTV camera footage, which showed him walking away with the accident victim’s bag before anyone else could notice. They suspect he is a local as he was wearing a veshti and was on foot at that late hour.

The accident victim Arjun, who died on the spot, is a resident of Acharapakkam near Tambaram. He was walking home from work at a private company when he was knocked down by a car around 2.40 am. On information, the traffic investigation police arrived and sent the body to Chromepet GH for post mortem examination.

Police arrested the driver, Jayakumar of Perungalathur, who had taken his friend’s new car for a spin.

It was when the police were scanning CCTV camera footage of the accident that they noticed a person walking away with the victim’s bag "He appeared to be a pedestrian. Before others could locate the accident victim, he coolly walked away with the bag. With the help of the CCTV footage, the victim will soon be nabbed," said an investigating officer.

Local residents said the police should take steps to check speeding by motorists. Just last week five youths had died on GST Road near Tambaram when their car rammed into a lorry parked on the roadside.

CRUEL ACT: CCTV grab shows the man walking away with the accident victim's suitcase

The accident victim Arjun, who died on the spot, was walking home from work at a private company when he was knocked down by a car around 2.40 am

Five youth killed as speeding MUV crashes into lorry in Chennai

Five youth killed as speeding MUV crashes into lorry in Chennai

When asked if Naveen, who was behind the wheel, had consumed alcohol, the traffic investigation police said a conclusion can be arrived at only after the arrival of autopsy reports.

Published: 06th September 2021 04:35 AM |

Five youngsters were killed as their car rammed a truck in Perungalatur, in Chennai. (Photo | Express)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Five youngsters died during the wee hours of Sunday after their multi-utility vehicle lost control, brushed past a heavy vehicle, and collided with a trailer lorry parked on the roadside in Perungalathur.

The deceased persons are Aravind Shankar (21) of K K Nagar, Naveen (21) and Raja Harish (21) of Mettur in Salem district, Rahul (20) of Pudukottai, and Ajay (21) of Tiruchy. Chromepet traffic investigation police told The New Indian Express that the five died on the spot and their bodies were damaged severely in the mishap. The premium-segment vehicle was reduced to rubble, indicating the high speed at which the vehicle was running, the police said.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the incident happened between 1.30 am and 2.20 am near a private Information Technology company on GST Road in Perungalathur. CCTV visuals released by the police showed the MUV brushing past a heavy vehicle and ramming a trailer lorry laden with iron rods. On information, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel were pressed into action to retrieve the mangled remains of the bodies. All of them were shifted to Government Chromepet Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Except Naveen, the other four were fresh engineering graduates from a private college in Thoraipakkam. Police sources said that the four of them had campus interviews scheduled on Monday. When asked if Naveen, who was behind the wheel, had consumed alcohol, the traffic investigation police said a conclusion can be arrived at only after the arrival of autopsy reports. Chromepet traffic investigation police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.

4 engg grads & friend die as car rams truck

4 engg grads & friend die as car rams truck

Sindhu.Kannan@timesgroup.com

Chennai: 06.09.2021

Four engineering graduates, who came to the city to take part in a campus recruitment drive, and their friend lost their lives after their car rammed a parked truck on GST road early on Sunday. The accident occurred at Perungalathur near Chennai.

The victims were identified as Raja Ganesh, 21, of Trichy, Naveen, 21, of Mettur, Ajay, 21, of Trichy, Rahul, 20, of Pudukottai, and Arvind Shankar of Chennai. Except Navin, who was driving the car, the others were engineering graduates of Hindustan University. They had come to the city on Friday to take part in the campus interview scheduled for Monday.

On Friday, they went to their college and got their course completion certificates. They were staying at their friend’s room in Kelambakkam and had visited a few places in Chennai on Saturday. They decided to go for a drive towards Perungalathur and return to their room when the accident took place.

MANGLED: The five bodies were retrieved after an hour-long operation and sent to Tambaram GH for postmortem

Truck laden with iron rods was parked at the spot for 2 days

Police checked the CCTV camera footage from the accident spot and found that around 1.30am, Naveen lost control of the car while trying to overtake a truck. The car hit another vehicle and then rammed a trailer lorry laden with iron rods parked on the roadside.

The bodies were recovered by fire and rescue services personnel after an hour-long operation and sent to the Tambaram GH in Chromepet for postmortem. The car was completely mangled and they had to pull out the bodies from underneath the truck.

Some motorists said such illegal parking of trucks on roadside was posing a risk to other road users. Officials had failed to act against the truck that had remained parked at the spot for more than two days. The deaths could have been averted if the truck was removed from the spot, they said. Relatives and friends of the victims were inconsolable on seeing the bodies of the victims at the mortuary. The Chrompet traffic investigation police have registered a case of rash driving.

1 dies as part of a flyover under construction in Madurai crashes

1 dies as part of a flyover under construction in Madurai crashes

Kaushik Kannan & Sukshma Ramakrishnan TNN

Madurai:29.08.2021

A guest worker from Uttar Pradesh died when a concrete portion of the Madurai-–Natham flyover between two pillars at Bank Colony near Naganakulam Tank in Madurai crashed and plunged eight metres into the ground on Saturday evening. Officials said the accident happened due to a technical snag in the hydraulic jack when construction workers were lifting a girder (precast concrete block) between the pillars. The flyover is being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The incident happened around 4.30pm when workers were in the process of interlocking the Igirder on top of the flyover. Only two workers — Akash Singh and Saroj Kumar — were engaged in the task of handling the hydraulic jack and lift used for lifting the girder. Saroj Kumar was on the road operating the jack while Akash Singh was standing atop the concrete structure.

CRASH: A hydraulic jack malfunctioning has led to the collapse of a part of the Madurai-Natham flyover

No damage caused to the main flyover

There was an unexpected oil leak in the pipe connecting the hydraulic jack below and the lift on the top, resulting in inconsistency in the oil pressure in the machine. Soon, one side of the girder tilted and fell due to the imbalance, resulting in the huge structure coming crashing down. Akash’s hand got stuck in it and was severed as he also plunged down. He suffered multiple fractures and was rushed to Government Rajaji Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Saroj had a narrow escape as he managed to move away.

The portion that collapsed was part of the flyover’s arm connecting the service road. No damage was caused to the main flyover. Since vehicle movement where the accident took place was blocked with construction materials, there was no other incidents.

The 7.3-km-long flyover is part of the ₹1,200 crore Madurai-Natham four-lane highway which will reduce the distance between Madurai and Trichy and Chennai by 22 kms. Construction of the flyover at Rs 694crore began in November 2018 and was to be completed by November 2020 but the pandemic is among the reasons cited for the delay in completion. Finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan dismissed rumours that the bridge collapsed. “It is a workplace accident that unexpectedly took place at the construction site,” he told reporters and added that it was due to a broken hydraulic jack. Madurai city police commissioner Prem Anand Sinha said a case will be registered under section 304A of IPC for causing death due to negligence and they are investigating. “GMC has taken the contract. We are conducting inquiries with the immediate field supervisor and project manager,” he told TOI.

Medico hits four people on Ring Road

Medico hits four people on Ring Road

Chennai:17.08.2021

Police in Poonamallee have booked an MBBS student after her car ran amok on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) leaving four people injured and damaging at least five bikes parked on the road on Sunday evening.

The accident took place when the student tried to take the service lane, but her the car plunged onto the main road.

Police said Kavya of Alwar Thirunagar, a fourthyear medical student of a private college, was driving the car with one of her friend. She was on her way to Poonamallee. She lost her grip on the car and instead of applying brakes, she pressed the accelerator.

In the impact, the car rammed the vehicles. The car is said to have hit a group of people standing there, including a 12-yearold girl, who escaped with minor injuries. TNN

Watch your speed. That’s a highway, not a runway to fly

Watch your speed. That’s a highway, not a runway to fly

90% Of Accidents On ECR Stretch Caused By Overspeeding, But No Follow-Up Action On Violators

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

3.8.2021 

In February, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated an advanced traffic management system along East Coast Road to reduce accidents.

The ₹8.6-crore project set up by the state government included an Automatic Speed Enforcement System (ASES), an Automatic Video Incident Detection System (AVIDS) and a Vehicle-Activated Speed Signs (VASS) —all meant to detect any speeding vehicle or an accident along the 33-km stretch between Akkarai and Mamallapuram and alert the control room at Uthandi toll gate for police to reach the spot soon.

Around a dozen poles with high definition (HD) cameras were installed by Ador, a private firm chosen by the government. But the control centre in Uthandi was shut, when TOI visited the spot last week.

As per the rules, no vehicle can travel more than 80 km per hour (kmph) on ECR. VASS boards, installed on roadsides and medians, warn drivers about excess speed and pick up 8-10 violations every hour.

But there is no follow-up action on speed violations as no alerts are passed on to police through the control room and violators continue to go scot-free. Official data shows that 90% of the nearly 50 accidents reported on ECR between Mamallapuram and Akkarai every year are caused by speeding.

Multiple government sources confirmed that the control centre is yet to become completely functional as some of the components are yet to be installed. They attributed the delay to restricted travel movement of workers from industries in the north due to the lockdown. As of now, the control room is only recording video clips and challans are yet to be generated.

S Kamal Soi, member of the National Road Safety Council, said that enforcement works only when there is fear of being caught and punished. “Having display boards for speed alone will not act as a deterrent. The state government should start feeding this white elephant by starting operations at the control and command centre.”

CCTV surveillance cameras, installed by police, can help, at the most, in investigation and help in finding who was at fault or what went wrong after the accident takes place. Only an effective ASES can save lives, he added. Even civil work (to prevent accidents) has remained incomplete along ECR for years. In some areas, there are no signages along approach roads to alert motorists of incoming vehicles. Some stretches don’t have adequate lighting and there is stray cattle menace too.

Also, the 66-km stretch between the heritage town of Mamallapuram and Marakkanam is only a two-way road. A tender for a project to expand this into a four-way road was floated in 2018. Work has just begun on the stretch between Mamallapuram and Vayalur.

Lab technician mowed down by SUV was to get married next year

Lab technician mowed down by SUV was to get married next year

Sindhu.Kannan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:26.05.2021

Twenty-one-yearold lab technician A Yamuna, who was mowed down by a car driven by a drunk man near KMCH on May 21, was all set to get married in January 2022, with a software engineer based in Saudi Arabia.

The family was happily preparing for her wedding after her engagement in April and it was the last wedding in the family. After finishing her lab technician course, Yamuna was working in the Corona ward in KMCH. She asked her family members to schedule the wedding in January next year as she said cases might come down then.

Though this was Yamuna’s first job she was never scared treating Covid patients. She was in fact one among those who raised their voice demanding safety for staff in the Corona ward and staged a protest a couple of months ago.

On May 21, Yamuna was unwell and had requested for leave when she was asked to come for a while to attend a few patients. While returning home on her scooty a SUV driven by Abdul Qayyum under the influence of alcohol mowed her down.

Yamuna was the youngest daughter of Arumugham and Uma Rani. The family is shattered as they lost the sole breadwinner. His father Arumugham who has a small cycle repair shop is now jobless due to the lockdown. Yamuna was not only meeting her family expenses but also taking care of her elderly parents as her brother and two sisters are married and settled elsewhere.

“She was specific that the engagement shouldn’t be a grand one as people are dying of Covid 19. But she had dreams of her own for her wedding,” said Kamalesh, Yamuna’s uncle. "Nothing can bring her back. Drunken driving is something which has to be dealt with seriously," says Kamalesh.

Uma Rani who remained inconsolable, has been hospitalized twice as her health condition deteriorated. The groom who is yet to recover from the shock of losing his fiancée is shattered as he was unable to land in India for her funeral.

38-yr-old man gets trapped inside burning car, charred to death

38-yr-old man gets trapped inside burning car, charred to death

Was Driving At High Speed To Avoid Police Checkpoints

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:

A 38-year-old man was charred to death after his car caught fire as it crashed into an electric transformer near Pallakaranai on Tuesday morning. Unable to come out of the vehicle, the man died.

The deceased was Khaja Mohideen of VGP Shanthi Nagar in Pallikaranai. He was an assistant manager at a showroom in Nungambakkam. The showroom was closed due to lockdown but on Tuesday morning Mohideen went out for some personal work and was returning home after 10am. He was driving fast as he did not want to be stopped at police checkpoints as surveillance has been intensified for eregistration.

Around 11am, on VGP Shanthi Nagar Main Road, Mohideen lost control of the vehicle and crashed into electric transformer. Police said that within a few seconds the transformer caught fire which soon spread to the car.

Hearing the noise, residents came out only to see the car ablaze. The doors of the vehicle got stuck and Mohideen could not release the seat belt and come out. Onlookers could see him struggling inside but stood helpless as the entire car was ablaze.

They were even scared to go near as the transformer too caught fire. They informed the fire and rescue team and the police. The Medavakam rescue team rushed to the spot and doused the fire. By the time they broke open the door, Mohideen was already dead. The Pallikaranai police retrieved the body and sent it for postmortem to the Chromepet Government Hospital. St Thomas Mount traffic investigation police registered a case and are investigating.

Automobile engineers said tension adjustment system in seat belt operating mechanism is designed to get locked when it senses a sudden deceleration so that passengers are not thrown forward.

UP IN FLAMES: The car caught fire after it crashed into a transformer on VGP Shanthi Nagar Main Road

PVT BUS WAS COMING AFTER BETROTHAL

PVT BUS WAS COMING AFTER BETROTHAL

5 die, 20 hurt as pvt bus hits govt bus

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.04.2021

Five people died and 20 others injured in a head-on collision between a private and government bus at Veppancheri near Chengalpet on Monday evening.

The deceased were identified as Vettairayan, 48, Alamelu, 50, Annapoorani, 51, Muniayammal, 53 of Melmaruvathur and Ayyappan, 40 bus driver from Cuddalore.

The ones who died were all travelling on a private bus which was hired for a betrothal. The passengers were returning home to Melmaruvathur after the ceremony at Kalpakkam when the accident took place at 5.40pm at Veppancheri.

A government bus on its way to Puducherry collided head on with the private bus. In the impact, Vettairayan, Alamelu, Annapoorani, Muniayammal, died on the spot. Ayyappan, the government bus driver was rushed to Chengalpattu government hospital, where he died. The condition of 20 others is stable.