Multiple vehicles collide in Tamil Nadu, 4 dead
What's the story
At least four people were killed in an accident involving four vehicles in Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu. Eight other people were injured in the accident that took place on the Bengaluru-Salem National Highway. The entire incident unraveled in a matter of seconds, leaving behind a trail of destruction on the Thoppur Ghat road.
Video
CCTV footage of accident goes viral
CCTV footage from the accident spot shows a sequence of events involving four vehicles. In the video, a speeding truck can be seen ramming into another truck. The impact crushes a car caught between the two trucks. Just seconds after, another vehicle can be seen in the video losing control and falling off the bridge. At the end of the video, a truck can be seen catching fire.
Twitter Post
Purported video of the accident
OMG 😟 HAPPENED AT THOPPUR( Bangalore Dharmapuri -Salem stretch highway)
— ncsukumar (@ncsukumar1) January 24, 2024
A car suddenly came up in front of a truck which was coming down on the right lane which is usually reserved for light vehicles and the truck driver to avoid the collision with the car out of reflex action… pic.twitter.com/MSVkKMs1on
DMK's reaction
DMK attacks Centre over pending work on elevated national highway
After the accident, Dharmapuri Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Senthil Kumar urged the central government to complete the pending elevated national highway work to avoid such incidents. In a statement he said: "More the reason why we are insisting on the speedy implementation of the sanctioned elevated highway at Thoppur Ghat section in Dharmapuri..."
Stalin's response
Tamil Nadu CM announces compensation
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed sorrow over the accident and announced monetary assistance for the impacted families. He announced a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 to those undergoing treatment in the incident. Thoppur Police has registered a case and initiated an inquiry.