Villupuram / Thoothukudi: A total of 16 persons lost their lives in two different road accidents in Tamilnadu today.
While nine were killed when a truck collided with a bus on Kallakurichi-Salem National Highway near Villupuram, seven died when the van in which they were travelling toppled after ramming a bridge in Thoothukudi district.
Regarding the Villupuram accident, the police said the omnibus was going from Coimbatore to Chennai while the pick-up van, carrying 14 persons for contract work, was going from Uthiramerur to Kangeyam.
They said the van was being driven at high speed and the driver had dozed off at the wheel when he reached Emaper, where the two vehicles collided head on on the two-lane.
Traffic on the busy Kallakurichi-Salem Nation Highway was disrupted for more than three hours due to the accident.
The police said 14 workers, including 11 from Jharkhand, were travelling from Uthiramerur in Kancheepuram district to Kangeyam in Tirupur district for power transmission tower installation work when the mishap took place.
Drivers of both vehicles were killed in the accident, the police said.
In the Thoothukudi mishap, the seven killed included women and children. They were returning after offering prayers at a temple when the accident took place. Eleven persons suffered injuries and were admitted to a hospital.