Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan on Saturday expressed serious concern over the growing number of accidents and safety hazards on National Highways in the State, particularly on stretches where construction and widening works are underway.
He said he would urgently take up the issue with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Satheesan’s intervention came against the backdrop of a horrific accident on National Highway 66 in Thrissur district, in which eight youths from Tamil Nadu, reported to be engineering students, were killed after their car crashed into a goods lorry parked near a construction diversion.
In a post on X, the Chief Minister said he was “deeply concerned” about increasing accidents and safety issues on National Highways across Kerala, especially on sections undergoing construction.
He said the matter would be raised urgently with the NHAI and appealed to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to give high priority to a comprehensive safety review of highway projects in Keralam and initiate immediate corrective measures.
“Public safety must remain paramount,” Satheesan said, signalling that the state government would press for stronger safeguards at highway construction zones.
The Thrissur accident occurred around 11.40 p.m. on Friday at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam. The Tamil Nadu-registered car, which was travelling from the Guruvayur side towards Kodungallur, rammed into the rear of a goods lorry parked on the highway.
The collision occurred on a stretch of NH-66 where construction work was in progress. The impact left the car completely mangled, forcing rescue personnel to cut open the vehicle to extricate the occupants.
Local residents, police, and Fire and Rescue Services personnel participated in the operation. The bodies were subsequently shifted to Thrissur Government Medical College.
Preliminary reports linked the victims to an engineering college in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. Police have begun investigating the circumstances leading to the accident, including the manner in which the lorry had been parked and other possible contributing factors.
The tragedy has renewed concerns over inadequate lighting, warning signs, barricades and traffic management along NH-66 stretches undergoing widening.
Residents have also alleged that heavy vehicles are frequently parked along the construction corridor, creating serious risks, particularly at night.
(IANS)
