A Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) AC bus en route from Madurai to Tiruchendur slammed into a water tanker tending median plants on the Thoothukudi-Madurai National Highway near Sinthalakarai on Thursday morning, instantly killing the driver and one passenger while leaving seven others with severe injuries. The violent collision crumpled the front of the bus, trapping victims amid twisted metal and shattered glass.

Bus driver L Nallusamy, 45, from Peraiyoor, was crushed to death at the wheel as the impact pinned him inside the mangled cabin. Passenger S Mahesh, 33, from Mumbai, succumbed to his wounds at Ettayapuram Government Hospital despite emergency treatment. His wife Vinitha, 30, traveling with him, sustained critical injuries and remains hospitalized.

The seven injured include conductor Jeyaraman, 47; Karthik, 29, from K Sundaresapuram; and Stalin, 45, from Kanchipuram—all admitted to Kovilpatti Government Hospital. Dr Renugadevi and Vinitha are under care at Ettayapuram GH, while Logeswaran, 33, from Edapadi, and Pandian, 34, from Madurai, were rushed to Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital in serious condition.

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Ettayapuram police have registered a case under relevant sections and launched a detailed probe into the cause—preliminary reports suggest the tanker was stationary or moving slowly while watering plants, and the bus may have failed to brake in time. Eyewitnesses reported heavy morning traffic in the area.

As rescue teams cleared the wreckage and restored traffic, authorities vowed strict action if negligence is found. The tragedy has reignited calls for enhanced highway safety, especially around maintenance vehicles operating near high-speed lanes.

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