One student killed, three injured after lorry crashes into footpath in Palakkad

A college student died and three others were injured after a lorry carrying medical waste rammed into the railing along a footpath in Mundur of Palakkad on Friday. The victim was identified as Mohammad Farhan, 19, a BCA student at Yuvakshetra Institute of Management Studies, Ezhakkad, and a native of Parakkunnam. The injured were Asif, Sinan and Razal.

Students who witnessed the accident told the media that the vehicle was speeding, skidded on the wet road, and crashed into the students as they were walking back to their college after offering Friday prayers at a nearby mosque in the Ninth Mile area. Around 10 students were returning from the mosque when the accident occurred.

Local resident Sainuddin told Onmanorama that the students were walking back to the bus stop to board a bus when the lorry skidded on the rain-soaked road, crashed into the footpath railing, and ploughed into the students about 150 metres from the bus stop. "Farhan was trapped under the tyre and had to be pulled out. The lorry also hit two passersby, who managed to survive without injuries," he said.

Residents said they had noticed the vehicle repeatedly speeding through the area.

One of the injured students is in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at the general hospital, while the other two sustained minor injuries and are receiving treatment at a nearby private hospital.