KRISHNAGIRI: Four people died, and more than 10 cows were injured in a three-vehicle collision near Bargur in Krishnagiri district on Sunday morning.
The deceased have been identified as J. Arul Jothi (48) and J. Manikandan (42) from Dindigul district, S. Narayanan (45) from Solampattu district in Maharashtra, and an unidentified people also from Maharashtra.
The accident occurred around 5.30 am when an Eicher truck transporting onions from Maharashtra to Chennai lost control near Athimarathupallam on the Bengaluru-Chennai highway.
“He lost control of the vehicle as he approached Athimarathupallam near Bargur around 5.30 am on Sunday,” said Bargur DSP P. Muthukrishnan. The truck crossed the highway median, collided with a truck carrying cattle from Andhra Pradesh to Coimbatore, and hit a goods carrier heading to Krishnagiri from Andhra Pradesh.
Narayanan and the unidentified passenger in the onion truck died on the spot. Arul Jothi and Manikandan, who were in the cattle truck, also succumbed to their injuries at the scene. Three others in the cattle truck—N. Vijay (38), Kadhar Basha (36), and N. Rajesh (31), all from Nandyal district in Andhra Pradesh—sustained injuries but are now in stable condition.
Over 10 cattle in the truck were also injured during the crash.
Bargur police responded promptly, transporting the injured to Krishnagiri Government Medical College and Hospital for treatment. The bodies of the deceased were also sent there for postmortem examinations.
DMK Bargur MLA D. Mathiyazgagan visited the scene to monitor rescue efforts. After nearly seven hours of work, Krishnagiri district police and fire and rescue teams cleared the debris and restored traffic on the highway.
A case has been registered, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.
