TN village grieves as an entire family is lost to a freak accident

Twelve people were killed in the accident after an SUV carrying six persons rammed into another car near Kunigal in Karnataka.
TN village grieves as an entire family is lost to a freak accident
TN village grieves as an entire family is lost to a freak accident

As wails of grief rented the Sikkanapalli village in Krishnagiri district on Friday afternoon, Collector S Prabhakar could be seen walking towards a temporary shelter surrounded by tearful men and women. As he made his way to a table placed at the centre, the district authority teared up on camera, unable to hide his emotions, given the heartbreaking sight on display.

In front of him were corpses of 35-year-old Manjunath, his 26-year-old wife Tannuja and the small wrapped up bodies of their 4-year-old daughter Malaishree and 10 month-old son Chethan. The entire family, along with five others from their village, lost their lives in a tragic accident on Friday morning when they were travelling back home after a temple tour to Karnataka.

"The family's roots are in Karnataka but their parents settled in Tamil Nadu, a long time ago. They were going to a temple in Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district to tonsure their son's head," says Premnath, a resident of the village and a close friend of Manjunath.  "Manjunath took relatives, a local Anganwadi teacher who wanted to visit the temple and a driver from the village. A total of 13 people went from our village," he adds.

The 13 villagers were returning by car after the pilgrimage, and were near Kunigal in Karnataka when an SUV carrying six persons, coming from the opposite direction hit the median between them. It then rolled over and smashed into the car that the villagers were travelling in. Ten people travelling to Tamil Nadu and three others in the car which crashed into them, died on the spot.

"The Tamil Nadu car was being driven properly, this was not their fault at all," says Krishnagiri district's Superintendent of Police Gangadhar. "The problem was that the other car's tyre burst and hit the median. It then toppled on to this family's car. It was an accident where nobody can be blamed. The hit was so precise that no one could have escaped immediately," he adds.

Other than Manjunath's family, his relatives 48-year-old Soundarraj, his 14-year-old son Thrishanyu, another relative 55-year-old Gowramma, the anganwadi teacher 32-year-old Sarala and the driver 27-year-old Rajendra all lost their lives in the accident.

"They were all important members of our community in this small village," says Premnath. "Everybody in the village knows them and they got along really well with us. It is unbelievable that they are no more."

Manjunath and his family have now left behind his parents and a sister who is being treated at a government hospital after being injured in the same accident.  His friends now lament that they will be left unsupported without breadwinners in the family.

"Even at the funeral now, there were more villagers and friends who came to attend," says Venkatachalam Babu, a villager present during the final rites. "We are all heartbroken that a freak accident wiped out an entire family."

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