THE HELL OF TAMILNADU

On January 24, 2024, a tragic accident took place on the Thoppur ghat road in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. A paddy truck lost control and collided with two trucks and two cars. The impact was devastating: two vehicles caught fire, and several people suffered burns. The casualties included four fatalities, and eight others were injured12.

Among the victims were Vinothkumar (32) of Coimbatore and seven of his family members, including his wife and a newborn baby. They were returning home from Bengaluru after attending a function. Additionally, Illango, Sathish, and Kandhasamy of Namakkal were in another car and suffered minor injuries1.

Late Wednesday night, the police retrieved the charred remains of the victims. The deceased were identified as Manju (56), Vimal (28), Anushka (23), and Jennifer (29), all from Ashok Nagar in Coimbatore. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin condoled their deaths and announced a solatium of ₹2 lakh each for the bereaved families and ₹50,000 for the injured2.

This tragic incident highlights the need for improved safety measures on the Thoppur ghat road, which has witnessed several accidents over the years. Efforts are underway to regulate traffic and prevent further mishaps1. In December 2023, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) announced plans to construct an elevated highway in Thoppur at a cost of ₹775 crore1.

The Thoppur ghat road has been a black spot for accidents, and authorities continue to address safety concerns to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Four die in vehicle pile-up on Thoppur Ghat road

Two cars were trapped under a truck, which went up in flames. One truck moved off the twin bridge and fell into the 35-foot gorge.

The truck driver lost control and rear-ended three cars and two other trucks. Two cars were trapped under the truck and went up in flames

The truck driver lost control and rear-ended three cars and two other trucks. Two cars were trapped under the truck and went up in flames Photo |Express

DHARMAPURI: AT least four people died and five others suffered injuries after a paddy truck went out of the driver’s control and rammed two trucks and two cars on the Thoppur ghat road on Wednesday evening. Police said the casualties might rise as several people suffered burns as the truck went up in flames.

Around 5 pm, when the truck approached the twin bridge near on the Dharmapuri-Salem highway, the driver lost control and the vehicle rear-ended three cars and two trucks.

Two cars were trapped under the truck, which went up in flames. One truck moved off the twin bridge and fell into 35-foot gorge. Another truck suffered minor damage, police said.

Vinothkumar (32) of Coimbatore and seven of his family members, including his wife and a newborn baby, were in the other car. They were returning home from Bengaluru after attending a function. All the four victims were in the car, and their identities could not be established immediately, police said. Efforts were underway to rescue the others. Illango, Sathish and Kandhasamy of Namakkal were in the other car. They suffered minor injuries, police said.

A police officer stated, “Three people who were trapped in a car under the burning truck died on the spot. Another person died while being taken to the Government Hospital in Salem. Three people with severe burn injuries have been transferred to Salem Government Hospital, while one person was sent to Omalur Government Hospital and another injured was admitted to Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital.”

Traffic jam

Collector K Santhi and Superintendent of Police Stephen Jesupadham inspected the rescue works. Due to the accidents severe traffic jam was reported between Dharmapuri and Salem. Staff from the Palayampudur toll gate diverted traffic in a single lane to accommodate vehicle movement.

Tollgate staff reported that “traffic jams up to over 12 km have been reported due to the accidents and efforts are underway to regulate traffic.”

In 2020, a similar accident took place in the stretch when a truck rammed 12 vehicles which left four people dead and dozen injured. In 2022, due to frequent accidents, the Thoppur ghat road was declared a black spot.

According to a study conducted by the Regional Transport Office, between 2012 and 2021, 558 accidents occurred in Thoppur which left 684 people were injured and 208 people dead.

In 2022, 92 people were injured and nine deaths were reported. In 2023 also nine fatalities were reported in the stretch.

In December 2023, NHAI announced that an elevated highway would be constructed in Thoppur at the cost of Rs 775 crore.

BY,

MADHANKUMAR.R