Five people, including two children, were killed early Tuesday morning when a speeding truck carrying wooden logs ran over them on the national highway near Nattika in Thrissur district, Kerala, police said.
The incident occurred around 3:45 a.m. when the truck, traveling from northern Kerala, collided with a 6-foot-high barricade and veered onto a section of the highway that was closed for ongoing expansion work. The truck then struck a group of people, including children, who were sleeping on the roadside. Five members of the group died on the spot, while six others sustained injuries and were hospitalized, where they are being treated, said Ramesh, Circle Inspector at the Valappad Police Station.
“Despite clear signage directing vehicles to divert left due to the expansion works, the truck, traveling at high speed, pushed aside the barricade and ran over the victims,” the officer explained.
The victims were part of a nomadic family from Govindapuram, a village on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border near Palakkad. They were identified as Kaliyappan (50), Bangari (20), Nagamma (39), and two minors.
Police said two individuals from the truck were apprehended by locals and handed over to authorities. The driver of the truck, 33-year-old Alex, who was found to be under the influence of alcohol, was employed as a cleaner. The actual driver, 54-year-old Jose, who was in the passenger seat at the time, has also been arrested.
