Six people were killed and more than 20 others injured in a severe head-on collision between two private buses near Idaikal, close to Kadayanallur, around 11 a.m. today.
According to police, a bus travelling from Palladam to Tenkasi and another from Rajapalayam to Tenkasi collided at high speed on a narrow stretch of road. The impact crushed the front portion of one bus and the rear section of the other. Both vehicles were heavily crowded at the time.
Locals rushed to the spot and helped rescue several passengers trapped inside the wreckage. Five women and one man died on the spot. More than 25 injured passengers have been admitted to the Tenkasi Government Hospital, with some reported to be in critical condition.
Fire and rescue teams later joined the operation, and traffic movement on the route was affected for hours. Police have launched an investigation into whether overspeeding or driver negligence caused the accident.
