Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu—A pall of gloom descended over Tamil Nadu on Sunday evening as a devastating head-on collision between two state-owned buses near Thirupathur in the Sivaganga district claimed the lives of at least 11 people and left over 50 passengers injured.
The horrific accident occurred around 5:00 PM on the Tirupattur-Pillayarpatti route when the two Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses—one reportedly heading towards Madurai and the other to Karaikudi—crashed near Nachiyarpuram. The impact was so severe that the front portions of both vehicles were completely mangled, leading to multiple fatalities on the spot. Victims include eight women, two men, and a child.
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Rescue operations were swiftly initiated by local residents and emergency teams, who worked tirelessly to extract the injured and retrieve the bodies trapped inside the wreckage. The injured were immediately rushed to government hospitals in Karaikudi, Thirupattur, and Sivaganga, with several of the seriously wounded being referred to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed his deep shock and grief over the loss of lives, immediately directing the District Collector and the Minister-in-Charge to supervise rescue and medical efforts. The CM also announced an ex-gratia payment of โน3 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Police have launched a full investigation to determine the exact cause of the collision, with initial reports suggesting the crash may have been due to overspeeding on the narrow road.