4 schoolgirls crushed under cement-laden lorry at Kalladikode in Palakkad

The tragedy struck around 4.15 p.m. as the students were heading home from their school after attending their mid-term exams. The lorry carrying cement bags lost control at the curve, careened off the road, and flipped over after after hitting a tree and destroying a compound wall

Four Class VIII students of Government Higher Secondary School, Karimba, were crushed under a cement-laden lorry that overturned at Panayampadam curve, near Kalladikode, on the National Highway 966 on Thursday evening.

The tragedy struck around 4.15 p.m. when the schoolgirls were heading home from after attending their mid-term examinations.

The lorry carrying cement bags lost control at the curve, careened off the road, and flipped over after after hitting a tree and destroying a compound wall. The five-member student group was walking home when they were caught under the overturned lorry.

One of them escaped with injuries when four others were fatally crushed under the lorry. Though they were rushed to nearby hospitals, they were declared dead on arrival. The victims were identified as Irfana, Midha, Ridha, and Aysha.

The accident site witnessed heart-wrenching scenes as the crushed bodies of the victims were pulled out from under the lorry in front of their parents.

Furious at the tragedy, local people laid a siege to the highway and protested against the unscientific road construction. They alleged that the site had witnessed over 50 accidents since the expanded highway was opened a couple of years ago. Rahul Mamkootathil, MLA, reached the site and pacified the protesters.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed grief over the tragedy. He said the reasons that led to the accident would be examined and action would be initiated.

Minister for Education V. Sivankutty, expressing grief over the tragedy, has sought a report from District Collector S. Chithra about the accident. He has asked the Director of General Education to visit the site.

Transport Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar said that stringent action would be taken against those responsible for the accident. He said the Motor Vehicles department would examine if the lorry driver was drunk.

Mr. Ganesh Kumar, however, called upon the people to enforce self-discipline on the roads. “Enforcement of the law alone will not help. People should have the awareness to enforce the road safety themselves,” he said.

He said the Motor Vehicle department had not got any complaints about the frequent accidents at Panayampadam curve. Local people blamed the National Highway authorities for the accident, saying that the road was constructed unscientifically.

Published - December 12, 2024 07:10 pm IST