Kerala: 5 killed as speeding truck runs over family of nomads in Thrissur

Five people, including two children, were killed after a truck carrying wooden logs ran over them on the national highway near Nattika in Thrissur district of Kerala in the wee hours of Tuesday, police said.
“The incident occurred around 3:45 am when the truck travelling from north Kerala rammed into a 6ft tall barricade and came onto a stretch of the highway that was closed as part of ongoing expansion works. The truck ran over a group of people, including children, who were sleeping on the side. Five of them died on the spot, while six others who were injured have been admitted to hospitals and are undergoing treatment,” Ramesh, the circle inspector at Valappad police station, told HT.
“Since expansion works are ongoing on the highway, there was a clear sign telling vehicles to deviate towards the left and continue. The barricade was also placed there to prevent vehicles from moving ahead. But the truck, travelling at a high speed, pushed aside the barricade and killed the victims,’ the officer said.
The victims are reported to be nomads who move from one place to another. They hail from Govindapuram on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border near Palakkad.
The victims have been identified as Kaliyappan (50), Bangari (20), Nagamma (39), and two minors.
The police said that two people who were in the truck at the time were apprehended by locals and handed over to them. The person who drove the truck, Alex (33), was under the influence of alcohol and worked as a cleaner. Jose (54), the actual driver who was in the passenger seat, has also been arrested.