Thrissur accident: Kerala urges Centre for NH safety audit across state amid hazardous road claims
An urgent safety inspection of national highways is underway across Thrissur after a horrific road accident killed eight engineering students on Friday night. The tragedy occurred when their car rammed into a goods lorry parked near a construction diversion at Panambikkunnu on National Highway 66. This midnight collision has triggered fresh questions regarding hazardous road conditions. The victims, who studied in Tamil Nadu, died from severe injuries before reaching the hospital.
Crackdown on highway hazards
In response to the tragedy, Thrissur District Collector Shikha Surendran ordered a joint task force to inspect the district's national highways immediately. This team, which includes police, motor vehicle officials, and highway authorities, must submit its findings by Wednesday evening. Their audit will closely inspect road maintenance, potholes, poor lighting, and waterlogging.
Furthermore, the Collector instructed the police to initiate a strict campaign against illegal parking, which residents blame for the disaster. Local government secretaries have also been ordered to conduct independent safety assessments within their jurisdictions. Meanwhile, rural police are actively searching for the lorry driver and investigating potential safety lapses by highway developers.
Leaders demand immediate reforms
The disaster has prompted senior state leaders to demand immediate action from national agencies. Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan voiced deep concern over the rising number of accidents along under-construction highway stretches. He has requested the Union Road Transport Minister, Nitin Gadkari, to prioritise a comprehensive safety review across Kerala.
Public Works Minister P.K. Basheer mirrored these concerns, stating that protecting the public at construction zones is a mandatory responsibility for contractors. He has directed the National Highways Authority of India to resolve problems regarding overspeeding and inadequate lighting before opening the route. While state ministers accuse the national authority of negligence, the agency has denied these claims, asserting that the crash was caused by speeding and illegal parking. Local residents, however, maintain that three accidents occurred at the exact same spot within just three days. They point to dangerous, unlit diversions that force motorists off the main road onto service paths without any advance warning signs.