Van overturns into canal: 10 Ayyappa devotees injured

More than ten Ayyappa devotees were injured after a tourist van carrying pilgrims overturned into a canal near Tiruchendur in the early hours of Friday.
According to police, a group of about 24 devotees, led by Gurusamy Chandran, a resident of Nallathaner Odai Kuppam, Hareyamman Kovil Street, Thiruvottiyur in Chennai, had left for the Sabarimala pilgrimage on December 28. After offering prayers at Sabarimala, the group visited Courtallam and was returning towards Tiruchendur on Friday morning.
The tourist van was driven by Murugan, 31, also a resident of Thiruvottiyur. When the vehicle reached the Rani Maharajapuram bypass area near Tiruchendur, the driver reportedly lost control of the van. The vehicle first rammed into roadside trees and an electric pole before overturning into a nearby canal.
Hearing the screams of the passengers, passersby rushed to the spot and assisted in the rescue operation. The devotees trapped inside the van broke open the windows and managed to come out with the help of the public. All the injured were rushed by ambulance to the Tiruchendur Government Hospital for treatment. Police said 13 devotees sustained injuries in the accident, including Prashantha, 38, Abhishek, 21, Chandran, 51, and Rahul, 26. The condition of the injured is said to be stable.
The Tiruchendur taluk police have registered a case and launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. The incident caused panic among pilgrims and local residents in the area.