4 of a family dead, 12 injured in car-van collision near Tamil Nadu's Madathukulam

COIMBATORE: Four members of a family died while 12 others sustained injuries in a head-on collision between a car and a van near Madathukulam in Tirupur district early on Wednesday.

Police said one Thiyagarajan, 45, a resident of Indira Nagar in Palani, Dindigul district, was tragelling with his family in an SUV to attend a relative's funeral in Kinathukadavu in Coimbatore district. Early Wednesday, the family began their return journey to Palani. While traveling on the new bypass road at Karuppusamy Pudur their car collided head-on with a tempo traveler van.

The van, which was carrying 23 passengers from Palakkad in Kerala, was returning from a pilgrimage in Palani and was heading back to Kerala.

Thiyagarajan, his wife Preethi, 40, and their son Jai Priyan, 11, were killed on the spot.

Thiyagarajan's mother, Manonmani, 65, was taken to Udumalai Government Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.

Twelve passengers from the van sustained minor injuries and, after receiving first aid at Udumalai Government Hospital, were able to return to their hometowns, the police said.