8 killed on Kerala's roads on first day of New Year

Pathanamthitta: Eight persons died in different road accidents in Kerala on the first day of the New Year.

At Thalavadi in Alappuzha, two young men were killed when a police jeep hit their bike. Three persons lost their lives in two road accidents that occurred at Thiruvalla and Enathu in nearby Pathanamthitta district. In north Kerala, a bike rider met with his end after colliding with a car at Kakkodi in Kozhikode district, while a woman pedestrian was killed when a bus hit her at Koyilandy.

In Adimali in Idukki district a student died and 43 others were injured after a tourist bus overturned.

Justin and Alex, both natives of Kumarakom in Kottayam district, were the two who lost their lives after a police jeep hit their bike at Thalavadi on the Alappuzha-Thanneermukkom road. The jeep belongs to the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Alappuzha District Crime Records Bureau.

The police said the accident may have happened after the driver dozed off. The jeep went out of control and came to a stop after crashing into the boundary wall of a house nearby.

Shyam and Arunkumar died after a tanker lorry hit their bike at Thiruvalla. Thulasidharan of Elamangalam died after his bike hit a post at Enathu.

Two more accident deaths were reported from Kakkodi and Koyilandy in Kozhikode district. Biju, a native of Kakkodi, died after his bike and a car collided at Kakkodi. The accident happened at 12.30 am.

At Koyilandy, a bus fatally knocked down a pedestrian, named Shyamala, at the bus stand.

Meanwhile, at Puzhukalil locality of Pinangode in Wayanad a van that went out of control crashed into a shop. Two natives of Padinjarethara were travelling in the van. They were lucky to escape with minor injuries, but a part of the shop was totally destroyed.