- Asia
- India
State orders investigation into reckless driving
Maroosha MuzaffarMonday 24 November 2025 11:24 GMTComments
Aftermath of the collision (NewsX Live/YouTube screengrab)
On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents
Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents
Get a weekly international news dispatch
Email*SIGN UPI would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice
At least six people were killed and more than 30 injured after two private buses collided head-on in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Monday.
The collision took place in the Idaikkal area of Tenkasi district. One bus was running from Madurai to Senkottai and the other from Tenkasi to Kovilpatti when they crashed into each other at speed, local police said.
The bus from Madurai was driving recklessly, police said, adding that an investigation was underway.
“Investigators believe speeding and negligent driving by the Keysar bus driver caused the crash,” officials said, according to NDTV.
Police are now reviewing CCTV evidence and eyewitness statements to establish the precise sequence of events.
The collision left both vehicles badly mangled, with the front portion of one bus crushed so extensively that heavy machinery was required to clear the wreckage.
Shattered glass and twisted metal were strewn across the road, causing a major traffic disruption that lasted several hours as emergency crews, local residents and firefighters worked together to extract survivors.
A total of 32 passengers were confirmed injured and taken to hospitals in Tenkasi for treatment, according to India Today.
Health officials said several victims remained in serious condition, and the toll could rise.
Another report in Mathrubhumi English, a local newspaper, said that over 50 people had sustained injuries.
Police said five women and one man died at the scene.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin expressed grief over the tragedy and said he had directed senior officials to rush to the accident site.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of six lives in the bus accident that occurred in Tenkasi Kadayanallur. Immediately. I have ordered the District Collector, who spoke to me from the scene of the accident, to visit the government hospital and ensure that the affected individuals receive the appropriate high-quality treatment. I convey my deepest condolences to the deceased and my sympathies to their families. The government stands in support for the swift recovery of those who have been injured,” he wrote on X.
Monday’s crash came just weeks after a similar tragedy in Telangana’s Rangareddy district, where a public bus with more than 70 passengers collided with a speeding truck, killing 20 people.
In that incident, officials said the truck struck the bus head-on after approaching at high speed from the opposite direction.
Earlier this month, at least 10 people were killed and several were injured when a speeding dumper truck lost control and rammed into multiple vehicles in the Loha Mandi area of Jaipur city in the western state of Rajasthan.
The truck overturned after hitting a divider, crushing several cars and two-wheelers. Bystanders caught the driver, who was rescued from the crowd and taken to a police station.
The back-to-back accidents have renewed concerns over India’s road safety record. Thousands of people die every year in the South Asian nation in accidents caused by speeding, overloading and poor road conditions.
India’s roads remain among the most dangerous in the world, seeing nearly 172,000 deaths in 2023 – an average of one every three minutes – according to data cited by road transport minister Nitin Gadkari.
While Mr Gadkari has blamed “human behaviour” for most road accidents, experts have argued that poor civil engineering practices – including flawed road design, substandard construction and weak compliance with safety norms – share equal blame.
“The most important culprits are civil engineers,” Mr Gadkari said earlier this year. “Even small things like the road signages and marking system are very poor in the country.”
More about
Tamil NaduJoin our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
