Three killed, over 10 injured in truck-van collision at Tirunelveli

TIRUNELVELI: Three people, including a woman and a boy, died while 11 others suffered injuries when a van they were travelling in collided with a truck at Mangalapuram Valaivu near Kadayanallur in Tirunelveli district on Saturday.
The victims were identified as the van driver Manikandaraman, 27, of Neduvayal, passengers K. Shaifunisha, 38, R. Ashwath, 10, of Kadayanallur. The police said that the van with 13 passengers from Kadayanallur was returning from Thiruvananthapuram after sending off a relative to Haj.
Police sources said that when the van reached Mangalapuram Valaivu near Kadayanallur, a cement-laden truck heading to Thiruvananthapuram collided head-on with it.While the van driver died on the spot, two passengers succumbed to their injuries at the Tenkasi government hospital. Three of the badly injured were rushed to Tirunelveli medical college hospital in critical condition while others were treated at the Tenkasi government hospital.
Kadayanallur police registered a case and are investigating. Preliminary inquiry led to suspicion that both vehicles could have lost visibility due to the tree canopy near the bend.