Kerala road accident: 8 dead as car with Tamil Nadu registration rams parked lorry in Thrissur

Eight people, believed to be students from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, have been killed in a tragic road accident in central Kerala's Thrissur district, police said on Saturday. The accident occurred around 11.40 pm on Friday.

Updated : Sep 05, 2026, 08:02 AM IST

Eight people, believed to be students from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, have been killed in a tragic road accident in central Kerala's Thrissur district, police said on Saturday. The accident occurred around 11.40 pm on Friday, according to the police.

The car in which the youths were travelling collided with a lorry parked on the highway at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam nearby. All eight people in the car died on the spot.

The youths were pulled out of the car in a rescue operation carried out by locals, fire and rescue personnel and police. Their bodies were taken to the mortuary of Thrissur Medical College here, police said.

The vehicle involved had a Tamil Nadu registration. Those killed in the accident are suspected to be students from Tamil Nadu, police said. The car was reportedly travelling from the Guruvayur side towards Kodungallur.

Police said the impact of the collision was severe and the car was completely damaged. Initial investigation suggests the car rammed into the lorry parked on the highway at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam. The identities of the deceased are yet to be officially confirmed, but police suspect they are students from neighbouring Tamil Nadu based on documents recovered from the vehicle.

The accident spot at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam is on the busy Guruvayur-Kodungallur stretch, which witnesses heavy vehicular movement even during late hours.

Locals who heard the loud sound rushed to the spot and alerted police and fire and rescue services. A rescue operation was carried out to pull out the youths from the mangled car. However, all eight had died on the spot due to the impact, police said.

Their bodies were taken to the mortuary of Thrissur Medical College for post-mortem and further identification procedures. Police have informed counterparts in Tamil Nadu to trace the families of the victims. Traffic on the highway was disrupted for some time following the accident. Police have registered a case and started an investigation into the circumstances leading to the collision, including whether the parked lorry had proper indicators and if overspeeding was a factor.