Trailer falls on car, kills 4 in Kottakkal

Malappuram: Four youths including three siblings were killed and four others injured as a trailer fell over a car while negotiating a hairpin bend on NH 17 at Palachiramad near Kottakkal in the wee hours of Saturday. Police identified the deceased as Mohammed Parvesh (19), Samsheer (29) and Faisal (27), sons of Mahroof, who was also seriously injured, and another youth Shamseer.

They were on the way to Cochin Airport from their native place Chokli near Thalassery in Kannur. The siblings died on the spot and the other who hails from Edavanakkad in hospital. Their co-passenger Mirshad and driver Noufal were also seriously injured when another one, Sinoj, survived with minor injuries. They were first rushed to a hospital in Kottakkal.

The dead were shifted to Tirurangadi Taluk Hospital and Tirur District Hospital for postmortem. The injured were later shifted to a private hospital in Kozhikode. The accident which took place around 2.30 am is believed to be happened when their Innova car attempted to overtake the trailer as both vehicles were on the same track.

Hearing the loud sound, residents reached the spot and led the rescue operations. Residents said it was a 'Herculean task' to break the car to take injured passengers out. Police said the trailer was overloaded with raw materials of GI roofing sheets. Both the driver and helper escaped while the rescue operations were underway. The police said they also had minor injuries but not reported at any nearby hospital.