Five people were killed and 42 others, including several children, were injured after a private omni bus collided head-on with a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) bus near Kottampatti in Madurai district during the early hours of Monday, police said.
The accident occurred on the four-lane national highway near Vandinagar, close to Kottampatti, when the private omni bus, which was travelling from Chennai to Marthandam, allegedly went out of control and crossed the central median into the opposite carriageway.
It then rammed into an oncoming TNSTC bus with great force, causing extensive damage to both vehicles. The impact of the collision was severe. The private bus veered off the highway after the crash and smashed into a roadside passenger shelter.
Its front portion was completely crushed, trapping several passengers inside. The TNSTC bus overturned due to the force of the impact, leaving passengers stranded and injured. Police, fire and rescue personnel, along with local residents, rushed to the accident site and launched an intensive rescue operation.
Rescue teams used specialised equipment to extricate passengers trapped inside the mangled buses before shifting the injured to waiting ambulances. Officials said five people -- four men and one woman -- died on the spot due to the severity of their injuries.
Their identities are yet to be officially confirmed. Forty-two others, including children, sustained injuries of varying degrees and were admitted to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, where they are undergoing treatment. Hospital authorities said some of the injured remain in critical condition and are under close medical observation.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver of the private omni bus may have lost control of the vehicle moments before the collision. However, police said the exact cause of the accident would be established only after a detailed investigation, including an examination of the vehicles and statements from survivors and witnesses.
The accident triggered panic among motorists and residents in the area, while traffic on the busy highway was disrupted for several hours. Police diverted vehicles through alternate routes as cranes were deployed to remove the damaged buses and clear the roadway.
The Kottampatti police have registered a case and launched a comprehensive investigation into the fatal accident. Authorities are also examining whether speeding, driver fatigue or mechanical failure contributed to the tragedy.