One killed, six injured as truck falls on its side near Yercaud

Salem: One person was killed and six others were injured after the truck they were travelling in fell on its side near Yercaud here on Wednesday. The Yercaud police identified the deceased as K Periyasamy, 32, of Omalur in Salem district.According to police, the incident took place when a team of audio and mike setters was returning to Salem from Vellakadai in Yercaud after a temple festival in a truck.“When the truck neared Valavanthi village on Yercaud-Kuppanur ghat road, the truck driver suddenly lost his control over the vehicle while negotiating a blind turn. The truck hit the side parapet wall and fell on its side,” said S Thaiyalnayaki, Salem rural deputy superintendent of police. Periyasamy, he said, was trapped under the loaded materials and died on the spot.Six others - Thangaraj, 43, Raja, 32, Devaraj, 36, Sakthivel, 43, Ananth, 26 and Selvam, 29 - escaped with injuries. When alerted, the Yercaud police rushed the injured to the Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital. The body was sent to the same hospital for a postmortem.Following the accident, traffic was affected on the stretch for nearly two hours.