Six persons including five passengers of two buses were killed after a Marthandam-bound omni bus collided with a TNSTC bus that was proceeding towards Tiruchi, near Karungalakudi on Madurai-Tiruchi highway in Madurai district in the early hours of Monday (July 13, 2026).
Forty passengers and crew members of both the buses were injured in the accident. The injured were rushed to Government Hospital in Melur, Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) and a private hospital in Madurai.
The police said the driver of the omni bus lost control of the speeding vehicle and it suddenly swerved towards the right while it was proceeding at Vanjinagaram near Karungalakudi around 3.30 a.m.
The bus fell over the median and rammed against the TNSTC bus that was coming on the opposite lane. In the impact of the collision, the TNSTC bus turned turtle.
Within a few seconds, the omni bus turned towards the left and again jumped the median, the Superintendent of Police, Madurai district, N. Devanathan said. The omni bus came to a halt only after hitting the concrete bus shelter on the left side of the four-way highway.
Three passengers of the TNSTC bus, P. Anantharaj (46) of Tiruchi, K. Mohammed Yasin (60) of Tiruvarur and G. Surya (29) of Tiruchi, were killed on the spot. Two others travelling in the omni bus, J. Siriyapushpam (56) of Tirunelveli and J. Abraham, crew of the bus, from Thisayanvilai in Tirunelveli district, were also killed.
Senior police officers and firemen rushed to the spot and took up rescue operation.
C. Perumal (70) of Vanjinagaram, who was sleeping in the bus shelter sustained head injury. He was admitted to the GRH where he succumbed to injuries later.
While others were treated as outpatients at different hospitals, a total of 19 victims were admitted to the hospitals. A girl from Tiruchi suffered fracture on her shoulder, and many of them have suffered head injuries.
Madurai district police are investigating.
Madurai District Collector Nishanth Krishna, MP Su Venkatesan and others visited the hospital and inquired with the doctors about the treatment being given to the injured persons.
Published – July 13, 2026 12:33 pm IST
