TIHSSUR: At least five people, including two children, were killed and six others were injured when a truck ploughed into the roadside tent where they were sleeping in this district early on Tuesday, police said.
The victims, nomads living in tents set up along the highway, were struck by the truck on a national highway in Nattika, under the Valapad police station limits, at around 4.30 am, they said. Among the deceased are two children, aged one-and-a-half and four years. Two women were also killed.
According to the police, the truck was coming from Kannur with timber and the cleaner, who did not have a license, was driving the vehicle when the accident occurred.
The driver and the cleaner have been taken into custody. “Both of them were drunk,” a senior police officer told reporters here.
Thrissur City police commissioner R Ilango, who visited the accident site, said that a case under the non-bailable provision of culpable homicide not amounting to murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered. The offence carries a punishment of a 10-year imprisonment, he said.
Another officer said the vehicle was speeding according to witnesses and the driver and cleaner tried to escape after the accident. “They were caught by locals and handed over to the police,” the officer said.
District Collector Arjun Pandian, who also visited the site, told media that all the injured, including two who are in serious condition, are undergoing treatment at the Thrissur Medical College and they will be taken care of. He also said that the inquest and postmortem would be completed quickly and the bodies would be handed over to their respective families. “Have sought a detailed report from the police,” he said.
State Revenue Minister K Rajan said a detailed report has been sought from the police and the Collector. Terming the incident as “unfortunate”, Rajan said there were serious lapses on the part of the driver and cleaner according to the initial findings of the police. He also said that the circumstances behind the victims having to sleep on the roadside will be examined.