Chennai, July 10 (IANS) Three men died after a container truck and a pipe-laden lorry collided on the Madurai–Thoothukudi National Highway near Palayampatti junction, located in Aruppukottai, on Thursday.

According to police sources, the accident occurred when a heavily loaded lorry, carrying large pipes, swerved out of control and collided with an oncoming container truck. The deceased were identified as S. Muthuraj (25) from Watrap in Virudhunagar district, and P. Jayamurugan (50) from Thoothukudi. The identity of the third victim, believed to have been driving the lorry at the time of the accident, remains unknown as of Thursday afternoon.

Investigations revealed that Muthuraj, the actual driver of the lorry, had allegedly allowed the unidentified man to take control of the vehicle during the journey. As the lorry approached the Palayampatti junction, the driver reportedly lost control, causing the vehicle to veer sharply towards the right. The lorry hit the road median with considerable impact, flipped over it, and careened into the opposite lane—directly into the path of a speeding container truck.

The impact was devastating. The cabins of both trucks were ripped apart in the collision, killing all three occupants on the spot. Due to the massive loads both vehicles were carrying, the wreckage became tightly entangled, making rescue operations extremely challenging.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Aruppukottai, led by Station Officer J. Varadaraj, rushed to the scene and worked tirelessly to extract the bodies from the mangled remains of the vehicles. The remains were later shifted to the Government Hospital in Aruppukottai for postmortem examination and identification. A crane was requisitioned from Madurai to help separate the two damaged vehicles and clear the wreckage. The vehicles were eventually moved to the roadside to resume traffic flow on the busy highway, which had come to a complete halt following the accident.

The Aruppukottai Town Police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident.

Officials suspect over-speeding and driver negligence may have contributed to the fatal mishap. Authorities have urged heavy vehicle drivers to adhere strictly to road safety norms and avoid letting unauthorised persons take control of vehicles.

–IANS

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