The accident occurred around 7:30 PM on December 24, 2025, at Ezhuthur near Thittakudi. A State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) bus, traveling from Tiruchi toward Chennai, suffered a sudden front tyre burst. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which jumped over the road median and entered the opposite lane, ramming head-on into an SUV and a car traveling toward Tiruchi.
The impact of the collision was so severe that both cars were crushed beyond recognition. Seven occupants of the private vehicles were killed on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries at the Perambalur Government Hospital. The deceased include four men, four women, and a two-year-old child.
VIDEO | Tamil Nadu: Nine persons feared dead and few injured in a road accident involving a government bus and two cars on a national highway near Cuddalore's Thittakudi.#TamilNadu
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 24, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/Wqo6XYACan
Identified victims include:
- Rajarathinam (69): A prominent jewellery businessman from Karur.
- Rajeswari (57): Rajarathinam's wife.
- Jayakumar (45/65): The car driver.
- M. Durairaj (40): A driver from Lalgudi.
Government Response Chief Minister M.K. Stalin expressed deep shock over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of ₹3 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹1 lakh each for those seriously injured from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. He has directed district authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the survivors.
