Five members of a family, including three women, were killed when the car in which they were travelling rammed a wood-laden truck at Kalikavu, near Kuravilangadu, in the early hours of Saturday.
The deceased were identified as 68-year-old Thampi, a native of Thiruvathukkal in Kottayam; his 65-year-old wife Valsala; their daughter in-law Prabha, 45; Prabha’s son Arjun, alias Ambadi, 19; and her mother Usha Thomas, 58.
According to the police, the accident occurred on MC Road around 12.30 a.m. The family was returning from Chalakudy after visiting a relative’s house when their car collided head-on with the lorry, which was heading to Perumbavoor from Pathanamthitta.
Preliminary investigations suggested that Ambadi, who had been driving the car, might have dozed off. The car, which veered into the opposite track while negotiating a curve, was completely damaged in the impact of the collision.
The Fire and Rescue Services unit from Kaduthuruthi, with the help of the police and local residents, cut open the damaged vehicle to take out the passengers.
All the five persons died on the spot and the bodies were shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam.
The bodies were handed over to relatives after post-mortem examination.
Following the accident, traffic was disrupted for nearly 45 minutes along MC Road, sources said.
