Four Killed, Three Injured as Car Crashes Into Bus in Tamil Nadu's Perambalur

Four people, including a woman, were killed and three others suffered severe injuries after a rented car crashed into a moving private omnibus on the Tiruchirappalli-Chennai National Highway in Perambalur early Thursday, police said.

The accident occurred when the vehicles were passing a stretch opposite a fuel station between the 3-Road and 4-Road junctions near Perambalur, according to police.

The private omnibus was carrying 34 passengers and was travelling to Chennai from Thoothukudi. The rented car, carrying seven passengers, including two women, was also headed towards Chennai from Ramanathapuram district.

Police said the car was travelling behind the omnibus when it rear-ended the bus, resulting in a major collision. The impact left the occupants of the car trapped inside the mangled vehicle.

Following the accident, highway rescue personnel and Perambalur police rushed to the spot. They extricated the victims from the damaged car and shifted the injured to government hospitals in Perambalur and Tiruchirappalli.

The three injured passengers are currently undergoing treatment at the hospitals, police said.

According to the preliminary findings, the accident may have occurred after the car driver apparently dozed off while driving. Police are examining the circumstances surrounding the crash and are collecting further details as part of the investigation.

A case has been registered in connection with the accident, and further investigation is underway, police said.

The incident comes amid continuing concerns over road safety and the risks posed by driver fatigue, particularly during long-distance journeys. Authorities are expected to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the collision as part of the ongoing probe.