Eight Tamil Nadu engineering students die in Thrissur car accident

…parking and speeding on one of Keralam’s busiest highways. Local residents say as many as three accidents occured in the same spot in the last three days. As many as 23 lives were lost in the 10 years, they alleged. “ The under-construction highway has become extremely dangerous. There are stretches without proper warning boards or traffic-management measures. Illegal parking and overspeeding are adding to the risk. Many of the stretches on the NH 66 do not have proper lighting ,” said social activist Latheef Kettummal. Lack of warning signs One of the major concerns raised by residents is the lack of clear warning signs at diversion points. At Kaipamangalam, vehicles travelling along the main…

…will be strengthened to avoid such accidents,” he said. Minister O.J. Janeesh, however, squarely blamed what he described as negligence by the National Highways Authority of India in ensuring adequate road safety. “ The failure to ensure proper safety measures will be investigated. Human lives cannot be treated lightly ,” the Minister said, alleging that lapses in safety arrangements had contributed to the tragedy. NHAI denies lapses The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has rejected allegations of negligence, maintaining…

…air was filled with sobs and stunned silence as relatives waited for the post-mortem procedures to be completed and the bodies to be handed over for the final journey home. According to Raj Kumar, the brother of Jeeva, the friends had planned a one-day trip to celebrate Santhosh’s recent purchase of a car. However, they hired a rental vehicle for the journey. The families of most of the students were reportedly unaware that they had gone on the trip. Traumatic rescue efforts The rescue operation that followed was long and traumatic. Local residents, Fire and Rescue Services…