Five-year-old girl killed as SETC bus rams tractor

Trichy: A five-year-old girl died and several others were injured when a govt bus collided with an overloaded tipper tractor on the Trichy-Chennai National Highway near Perambalur on Saturday.

The deceased was R Gunashree, from Kuyilapalayam village in Cuddalore district. She was part of a group of 13 people from villages around Panruti who were travelling in the tipper tractor from work from Karur to Cuddalore. N Balashankar was driving the tractor. As they passed near the Padalur overpass in Perambalur district around 5am, a State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) bus travelling from Kanyakumari to Chennai rammed into the tractor from behind at a high speed.

The occupants of the tractor were thrown out and sustained injuries. Gunashree died on the spot, police said. The injured were rushed to Perambalur GH for treatment. The girl’s body was also taken to the hospital for autopsy.

S Suresh Kumar, 50, from Pandalakudi near Aruppukottai in Virudhunagar district, was driving the SETC bus. None of the bus passengers were injured.

The Padalur police registered a case for rash driving, endangering lives, and causing death by negligence. Further investigation is underway.