KARUR: Five people, including two minors, were killed after a private bus tail-ended a truck going in the front, crossed lane in the impact, and collided head-on with a tourist van coming in opposite direction on Salem-Karur National Highway near Athur in Karur district early on Saturday.
At least 27 others who sustained injury in the accident are undergoing treatment at hospitals.
According to police, the deceased have been identified as van driver D Sasikumar (52), and tourists K Arun Thiruppathi (45) and his son A Kamatchi Aswin (10) and their relatives S Ezhil Thakshna (12) and P Hema Varshini (20), all from Virudhunagar district.
According to sources, the bus was going to Nagercoil from Bengaluru, while the tourists from Kovilpatti were on their way to Yercaud for summer holidays when the vehicles crashed near Karur. Police said the bus jumped the road median after the driver lost control of the vehicle following a collision with the tractor speeding ahead.
Vengamedu police and fire personnel rushed to the spot to help the injured. The bodies were sent to Karur Government Medical College Hospital for postmortem. A total of 27 people, including passengers of the van and drivers of the bus and tractor, who were injured in the crash, were admitted to both government and private hospitals in Karur.
Expressing shock and grief , Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh each to the families of those killed in the accident, Rs 1 lakh each to those severely injured, and Rs 50,000 each for those who sustained minor injuries.
Police sources said the accident may have been caused due to over-speeding by the bus driver or because of sudden slamming of brake by the tractor driver. Further probe is on.