Police in Ramanathapuram said the accident occurred when the five pilgrims returning from Sabarimala had parked their car on the roadside and slept in the vehicle after midnight along the East Coast Road near Keelakarai.
Representational Image (IANS)
In a ghastly road accident, five people, including four Sabarimala pilgrims from Vizianagaram in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, were killed and seven others injured when a speeding car lost control and crashed into the vehicle parked on the roadside at Keezhakarai in Ramanathapuram district about 520 km south of Chennai, in the small hours on Sunday.
Police in Ramanathapuram said the accident occurred when the five pilgrims returning from Sabarimala had parked their car on the roadside and slept in the vehicle after midnight along the East Coast Road near Keelakarai.
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A speeding car, in which a local DMK functionary Mustaq Ahmed (34), was on the wheels, crashed into the stationary vehicle, resulting in the tragedy, police quoting preliminary investigation said adding that negligent driving and over speeding had caused the accident.
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While Mustaq and three pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh, Ramachandra Rao (35), Appavu Naidu (35) and Bandara Chandru Rao (45) died on the spot, another pilgrim, Ramu (60) succumbed to the injuries at the Ramanathapuram Government Medical College Hospital, where the injured, including one more pilgrim, Sri Ram and others are admitted and being treated.
Six others injured, Frsizhar (20), Thivyan (19), Praveen (19), Jameel Rahman (15), Harshath (32) and Madeswaran, who were travelling in the SUV with Mustaq, were admitted to hospital. Of them, the condition of Madeswaran is stated to be critical, police added.
The bodies of the victims have been sent for post mortem and the Keelakarai police have registered a case.
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