Hyderabad: A bus accident on the Chennai–Tiruchy National Highway claimed nine lives on Wednesday night after a Tamil Nadu State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) bus suffered a tyre burst and crashed into two cars in Cuddalore district.
According to police, the SETC bus was travelling from Tiruchy to Chennai when the accident occurred near Ezhuthur. Suddenly, the front tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control. As a result, the bus hit the central divider, crossed into the opposite lane, and rammed two oncoming cars.
The impact crushed both cars completely. Consequently, seven occupants died on the spot. Later, two more victims succumbed to injuries during treatment, taking the death toll to nine.
Bus accident on Chennai–Tiruchy highway leaves nine dead
Among the deceased were Karur-based gold trader Rajaratnam (69), his wife Rajeswari (57), and their driver Jayakumar, police said. They were travelling in one of the cars hit by the bus.
Meanwhile, Mubarak, Taj Birka, and Sirajuddin, residents of Pudukkottai, were travelling in the second car and died in the crash. Police said Sirajuddin was returning after dropping a relative at the Chennai International Airport when the accident occurred.
Following the crash, police and residents rushed to the spot and began rescue operations. However, officials struggled to retrieve bodies trapped amid the mangled remains of the vehicles. As a result, traffic on the national highway came to a standstill for several kilometres and remained disrupted for hours.
Meanwhile, police expressed concern over a series of recent highway accidents in Tamil Nadu. Preliminary observations indicated that poor vehicle fitness and lack of regular maintenance could trigger tyre burst incidents. Police registered a case and began an investigation.