Tragedy struck on the Madurai-Trichy national highway in Tamil Nadu’s Pudukkottai district as two panchayat presidents lost their lives in a car accident on Thursday. The victims, V. Karuppusamy (52) and K. Abhiman Raj (53), were among four men traveling to Chennai for a panchayat presidents’ meeting. Near Vanathirupathi, the driver reportedly lost control of the car, which then collided with a median before crashing into a stationary trailer-lorry.
Two other panchayat presidents, Shankar and Samuthram, were injured and are receiving treatment at Pudukkottai District Hospital. Police investigations suggest that the accident occurred when the driver, Bhaskaran, momentarily fell asleep at the wheel.