Ten residents of Andhra Pradesh were killed in a road accident in Tamil Nadu, while returning after worshiping Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala. The accident took place on the Thirumayam bypass road in Pudukottai district.
14 devotees from Andhra Pradesh were travelling in a white van on the bypass road when a container lorry from the opposite direction, allegedly came into the wrong side of the road and smashed into the vehicle. Reports state that seven devotees died on the spot while three others succumbed to their injuries at the Pudukottai government hospital.
A police officer who rushed to the site following the accident told TNM, "The incident happened around 2.20 pm and there were 15 people in the van including the driver. Ten of them are dead and others have been taken to the hospital. They were travelling back from Kerala. The driver of the lorry is absconding."
Picture show the white van that the devotees were travelling in completely damaged with the windshield broken and the engine smashed to the road. The lorry meanwhile only suffered major damage to only the windshield.
Police have cleared the road as of now, allowing traffic to proceed as usual. Effort are on to nab the absconding driver of the lorry.