A container truck carrying cement rammed into several vehicles on the Thoppur ghat road of the Salem-Bengaluru National Highway near Dharmapuri, killing four people and injuring seven others.

The incident happened on Saturday at 4.15 pm when the speeding truck collided into 12 vehicles, including cars, mini trucks and two-wheelers, that were held in a traffic jam due to an obstruction on the path. The truck driver allegedly escaped the spot while the accident caused a traffic jam in the area that lasted for hours. "Traffic had come to a standstill with the truck and the minivan stranded on the road. Police were trying to restore traffic. Vehicles were moving slowly on the two lanes of the road when the container truck came dashing through the gap, crashing into vehicles," a police officer was quoted as saying by a news agency. Three people, identified as A. Madhan Kumar (42) of Omalur, his car driver T. Karthik (38) of Pagalpatti near Omalur, and another car driver Nityanandham (35) from Coimbatore, were killed on the spot.

Eight people, who were severely injured, were rushed to local government and private hospitals, where another man, G. Kannan (42) of Perumbalai, succumbed to his injuries. "Another victim, G Kannan, 42, of Perumbalai near Omalur, died at the Dharmapuri government medical college and hospital without responding to treatment," an officer reportedly said.

CCTV footage from the #ThoppurGhat multiple collision that killed four and injured many on Saturday. Footage shows a speeding truck ramming straight into vehicles @thenewsminute #TamilNadu pic.twitter.com/beQ4W6ekcQ

— Anjana Shekar (@AnjanaShekar) December 13, 2020