Sat Nov 09 06:58:06 UTC 2024: ## Deadly Accident on Salem-Coimbatore Highway: Elderly Man Killed, Bus Catches Fire
**Salem, Tamil Nadu:** A tragic road accident on the Salem-Coimbatore National Highway early Saturday morning claimed the life of an elderly man and led to a bus fire. The incident occurred around 6:30 am when a Chennai-bound omni bus collided with a moped ridden by P. Periyasamy, a 60-year-old resident of Veerapandiyar Nagar.
The bus, en route to Coimbatore from Chennai, had to apply sudden brakes to avoid hitting the moped, causing it to overturn on the roadside. Periyasamy, a security guard at a local truck workshop, sustained fatal injuries in the impact.
While all 30 passengers on the bus managed to escape unharmed, a fuel tank leak caused the vehicle to catch fire shortly after the collision. The fire, which was extinguished by Sankari Fire and Rescue Services personnel after 30 minutes, completely gutted the bus.
Sankari Deputy Superintendent of Police S. Raja and his team immediately responded to the incident and halted traffic movement on the National Highway. The body of the deceased was transported to Salem Government Hospital for a postmortem examination, and a case has been registered by the Sankari police.
The accident caused significant traffic disruption on the National Highway, which remained blocked for over 40 minutes until the fire was extinguished.
First Piper 