CHENNAI: Three people who were parts of groups that were returning from Courtallam Falls died in separate accidents near Puliyangudi.
Venkateswaran (65) from Annanur near Avadi, his wife Hemalatha (60), and their son Madhavan (29), were part of a group of eight travellers who visited Courtallam in Tenkasi district and was heading back to Chennai late on June 15 when their car collided head-on with a lorry on the Tenkasi-Rajapalayam road at Punnaiyapuram.
The collision caused severe damage to the car's front, trapping all eight passengers inside. Based on an alert, a team of officials from Chokkampatti police station rushed to the scene and rescued the injured victims, who were taken to Tenkasi Government Hospital.
However, Hemalatha succumbed to her injuries shortly after being admitted, while the remaining seven passengers are currently undergoing intensive care.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Baskaran (36), a soldier from Srivilliputhur, and his friend were involved in a fatal accident.
Baskaran, along with his friends Marimuthu (33) from Sattur and Krishnaraja (35) from Kalugumalai, had visited Courtallam and was returning home around 3 am on June 16 when their car crashed into a roadside tree near Puliyangudi.
The accident resulted in the deaths of Baskaran and Krishnaraja, while Marimuthu sustained severe injuries and is currently hospitalised in critical condition at Tenkasi Government Hospital.
Puliyangudi police have sent the bodies for post-mortem examination and are conducting investigations.