Madurai (Tamil Nadu) | Three persons, including two women, were killed and over 15 others sustained injuries after a private omnibus rammed into another stationary bus near Melur here in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

The accident occurred on the Trichy-Madurai National Highway at Pallapatti, within the Kottampatti police limits.

According to police sources, a private omnibus traveling from Chennai to Madurai had pulled over at a roadside tea stall in the Pallapatti suburban area. While the driver was away, another private omnibus—en route from Chennai to Marthandam—lost control and crashed into the rear of the parked vehicle with significant impact.

The collision resulted in the immediate death of three passengers: Kanagaranjitham (65), Sudarshan (23) and an unidentified female passenger.

More than 15 passengers from both buses sustained various degrees of injuries. Local residents rushed to the spot and assisted in the rescue operations. The injured were transported via 108 ambulances and private vehicles to government hospitals in Melur and Madurai for treatment.

Upon receiving the information, a police team led by Melur Deputy Superintendent of Police Sivakumar and personnel from the Kottampatti station arrived at the scene to oversee rescue efforts and clear the highway traffic.

A case has been registered, and an investigation is currently underway to determine if driver fatigue or overspeeding led to the fatal collision.