9 killed in truck-van collision in southern India

At least nine people were killed and four others injured in a road accident in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, police said Thursday.

"The accident occurred when a van in which the victims were travelling collided with a stationary truck at Thuvarankurichi near Trichy district, more than 300 km from state capital Chennai," a senior police official said.

While nine people, including three children and two women, died on the spot, those injured were admitted to the state-run district hospital in Trichy, where the condition of one is said to be serious, he said.

The victims were going to the temple town of Tirupati from Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of the country, when the accident happened.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said. "The driver of the truck has fled the spot after the accident and we will book him for negligence as he had parked his vehicle without switching on the parking lights," he added.

India has the highest number of road fatalities in the world. Road accidents occur mostly due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)