Tamil Nadu - Kancheepuram   

Seven charred to death as car catches fire

Staff Reporter

The vehicle, involved in multiple collision, was jammed between a bus and a lorry

INFERNO: Firemen trying to douse the flames after three vehicles collided on the bridge across the Palar near Chengalpattu in the early hours of Wednesday. Seven persons were killed in the mishap. — Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

KANCHEEPURAM: Seven persons travelling in a car were charred to death in a fire that broke out following a multiple collision involving three vehicles on Grand Southern Trunk Road near Chengalpattu on Tuesday night.

According to the police, the accident took place around 11-15 p.m. near the old Palar river bridge, when the driver of an omni-bus applied the brakes to avoid a vehicle that was slowing down ahead of him.

The driver of the car, which was following the omni-bus, also applied brakes to avoid colliding with the bus. A speeding urea-laden lorry rammed the car from behind. In the impact, a fire broke out.

The occupants of the car were unable to get out as the vehicle was jammed between the bus and the lorry.

Seven fire tenders were rushed to the spot from Chengalpattu, Wallajahbad, Thirukazhukundram, Uthiramerur, Madurantakam and Kancheepuram. It took nearly an hour to bring the blaze under control.

After dousing the fire, a crane was pressed into service to separate the car's frame from the bus, which was also gutted.

A portion of the lorry cabin also caught fire. Water jets of fire tenders were trained at the lorry to drench the urea bags to prevent them from catching fire.

Traffic resumes

Normal traffic resumed on the old Palar river bridge from around 5 a.m. on Wednesday after the mangled remains of the bus, the car and the lorry were moved to the road-kerb at around 4-30 a.m.

While the occupants of the car — Anbarasan of Sunguvarchatram, Madhavan of Ramanujapuram near Sriperumpudur, Nirmalraj and Lawrance from Senthamangalam near Sunguvarchatram, Paulraj of Vittavidagai, Arunachalam of Cheyambakkam in Tiruvallur Taluk and car driver Siva of Kancheepuram — died on the spot, the occupants of the bus escaped unhurt as they alighted from the vehicle as soon as they noticed smoke. The lorry driver abandoned the vehicle and fled in the darkness, the police said.

Solatium distributed

Families of the victims were each given Rs. 50,000 from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund by Labour Welfare Minister T.M. Anbarasan.

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