The quiet of Kerala’s National Highway 66 shattered just after midnight on Friday, as a car carrying eight people slammed into a stationary lorry near Kaipamangalam. The impact was devastating—seven lives were lost instantly, their journey ending abruptly on a dark stretch of road where repairs were underway.

Key facts

  • Eight fatalities: seven at the scene, one later in hospital
  • Car with Madurai registration, victims suspected to be students from Tamil Nadu
  • Accident occurred on NH 66 at Panampikkunnu near Kaipamangalam, Thrissur
  • Lorry was parked on the highway where roadwork was in progress

A Rescue Under Darkness

Local residents were first on the scene, their shock turning quickly into action. They worked alongside Fire and Rescue Services and police to pull victims from the mangled car—a task so grim that firefighters had to cut through the wreckage to reach two of the occupants. The car, travelling from Guruvayur toward Kodungallur, had collided with the lorry parked in the same direction.

Identifying the Victims

Among the heartbreaking debris, an identity card surfaced—belonging to a student of PSNA Engineering College in Dindigul. It pointed toward the victims being young students from Tamil Nadu, their lives cut short far from home. The car’s Madurai registration added weight to that tragic likelihood.

Questions on Road Safety

Why was a lorry parked on an active highway? The stretch was under repair, but that offers little comfort to grieving families. This accident raises urgent questions about safety protocols on India’s busy national highways—especially after dark, when visibility drops and risks multiply.