A four-year-old girl died and four boys were seriously injured after a car driven by a minor overturned into a roadside ditch near Kalakkadu in Tirunelveli district.
Murugan, 45, a resident of Keezhathuvari Kulam village, had initially set out to refuel his car.
However, his nephew Duraipandi, 17, took the vehicle, saying he would go to the petrol bunk.
He was accompanied by children from the family — Kansika (4), Dinesh (10), Pradeep (9) and Litish (8).
While returning after refuelling, the car lost control on the Kalakkadu–Mangammal Road and plunged into a ditch. Kansika suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot.
The injured — Duraipandi, Dinesh, Pradeep and Litish — were rescued by relatives and admitted to hospitals. Duraipandi was taken to a private hospital in Kalakkadu, Dinesh to a private hospital in Nagercoil, while Pradeep and Litish were admitted to the Tirunelveli Government Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment.
Based on a complaint, Kalakkadu police have registered a case against Duraipandi for driving the car and against Murugan for allowing a minor to operate the vehicle.
An investigation is under way.
The incident has caused shock and grief in the local community.
Minor driving car overturns near Kalakkadu, girl killed
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