‘No regard for human life’: Kerala minister slams NHAI after NH-66 crash kills 8 students

Thrissur: Kerala Sports Minister O J Janeesh on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), accusing it of showing “no regard for human life” and ignoring repeated concerns over safety lapses along NH-66.

His remarks came hours after eight engineering students were killed when their car rammed into the rear of a lorry allegedly parked illegally on NH-66 at Kaipamangalam in Thrissur.

Janeesh, who represents Kodungalloor, said the accident must prompt the NHAI to examine whether failures in maintaining warning systems and safety measures during construction had contributed to the tragedy.

“From the visuals, it appears that the car crashed into the rear of a parked vehicle. The spot where the vehicle was parked on the highway was not a designated parking area. That is a major issue,” he said.

The minister alleged that public representatives had repeatedly raised concerns about dangerous stretches, inadequate signboards, poor lighting and unsafe diversions along the National Highway, but claimed the NHAI had remained uncooperative.

Repeated warnings over highway safety

Janeesh said he had attended around three meetings convened to discuss safety concerns along the NH-66 route. MLAs from constituencies through which the highway passes, along with the district collector and the SP, had attended the meetings.

Instructions had been issued to identify stretches lacking proper signboards and warning systems and take corrective measures, he said.

According to the minister, the location of Friday night's accident had not been among the previously identified black spots.

“This is the first time an accident has happened there. Nevertheless, the accident appears to have occurred after a vehicle was parked in an unauthorised area,” he said.

Janeesh also raised concerns over inadequate lighting and the lack of proper speed-control measures at locations where highway construction was underway.

Concerns over diversions and crossings

The minister alleged that proper warning systems were often missing at diversion points, creating a serious risk for vehicles travelling at high speeds.

“A vehicle travelling at high speed suddenly encounters a diversion, with no possibility of spotting it from a distance,” he said.

Janeesh said his criticism was not restricted to the Kaipamangalam accident but reflected broader safety concerns along the National Highway.

He also pointed to instances where people were using ladders to cross the highway, including in Guruvayur, claiming that the absence of proper crossing facilities and long detours had forced people to take unsafe shortcuts.

“During construction stages, there are no proper mechanisms to verify or prevent these unsafe practices,” he said.

Questions over NHAI coordination

Janeesh further questioned whether the NHAI had enough officials to effectively coordinate issues across the region.

He said a single project director had been designated for both the Palakkad and Thrissur regions and questioned whether the official could adequately address concerns across such a vast stretch.

“I don't think he can properly coordinate all these issues. He is rarely present when called for meetings,” Janeesh said.

The minister said elected representatives had repeatedly sought meetings with NHAI officials to raise safety concerns, including during the reopening of schools.

The NHAI is yet to respond to the allegations.

With PTI inputs