Eight Tamil Nadu students killed as car hits lorry on NH-66 in Kerala
Synopsis
Eight engineering students from Tamil Nadu's P.S.M Engineering College died on the spot after their car crashed into a stationary lorry near a highway construction diversion on NH-66 in Thrissur, Kerala, around midnight. The wreckage had to be cut open to retrieve the victims — raising urgent questions about safety standards on Kerala's ongoing NH-66 widening project.
Key Takeaways
Eight engineering students from Tamil Nadu were killed after their car hit a parked lorry on NH-66 at Kaipamangalam, Thrissur , around midnight on 5 September .
All eight were students of P.S.M Engineering College, Dindigul ; five have been identified — Vishwa (Salem), Surya and Yuvasanjith (Dindigul), Santhosh and Prasanna (Madurai).
Seven died at the scene; the eighth was declared dead at hospital.
The lorry was parked near a temporary diversion created for ongoing NH-66 construction and widening work.
The car, registration TN 59 DW 8299 , was completely mangled; rescue teams had to cut it open to retrieve the victims.
Police from Kaipamangalam station have launched an inquiry; the circumstances of the parking and signage are under examination.
Eight engineering students from Tamil Nadu were killed in the early hours of Friday, 5 September after the car they were travelling in collided with a stationary goods lorry on National Highway 66 at Kaipamangalam in Thrissur district, Kerala, around midnight. The vehicle, a Tamil Nadu-registered car bearing the number TN 59 DW 8299, ploughed into the rear of the parked lorry with such force that it was left completely mangled, trapping all eight occupants inside.
How the Accident Unfolded
The collision took place at Panambikkunnu Centre on a stretch of NH-66 where active construction and widening work is underway. According to police, the goods lorry had been parked near a temporary diversion created as part of the ongoing highway project. The impact of the crash was severe, and rescue personnel were forced to cut open the wreckage to reach the victims.
Seven of the eight students are understood to have died at the scene. The eighth was rushed to a nearby hospital but could not be saved. Local residents alerted emergency services, and personnel from Kaipamangalam police station reached the spot shortly after.
Victims Identified
All eight were students of P.S.M Engineering College in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. Five of those killed have been identified: Vishwa, 20, from Salem; Surya, 20, and Yuvasanjith, 20, from Dindigul; and Santhosh, 20, and Prasanna, from Madurai. Authorities were working to establish the identities of the remaining three victims and notify their families.
Investigation Under Way
Police have initiated an inquiry into the sequence of events leading to the crash. Investigators are expected to examine both vehicles and gather forensic evidence from the site. The presence of the parked lorry near a highway diversion — with no apparent warning signage noted in initial reports — is also expected to form part of the probe, according to officials.
NH-66 Construction Raises Safety Concerns
The accident comes amid extensive construction along several portions of NH-66 in Kerala, where temporary diversions, reduced lanes, and altered traffic patterns have been put in place across multiple stretches. This is not the first fatal accident on this corridor during the ongoing widening project, raising fresh questions about safety protocols for parked vehicles and night-time signage on active construction zones. Road safety advocates have previously flagged the risk of stationary heavy vehicles near poorly lit diversions on national highways.
Further details on the victims and the precise cause of the collision are awaited as the police investigation continues.
Point of View
Yet the question of whether stationary heavy vehicles near night-time diversions are adequately lit and signed remains unanswered. Kerala has seen multiple fatalities on this corridor during construction; each inquiry tends to close without binding safety mandates on contractors. Until the National Highways Authority of India holds project contractors accountable for site safety at night — not just construction milestones — these accidents will recur. The youth of the victims, all aged around 20, underscores the human cost of administrative inertia on highway safety.
NationPress
5 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did the Tamil Nadu students' car accident on NH-66 occur?
The accident occurred at Panambikkunnu Centre near Kaipamangalam in Thrissur district, Kerala, on National Highway 66, around midnight on 5 September. The car collided with a goods lorry parked near a diversion set up for ongoing highway construction work.
Who were the students killed in the Thrissur NH-66 accident?
All eight were students of P.S.M Engineering College in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu. Five have been identified: Vishwa (20, Salem), Surya (20, Dindigul), Yuvasanjith (20, Dindigul), Santhosh (20, Madurai), and Prasanna (Madurai). The identities of the remaining three were being established by authorities.
Why was the lorry parked on NH-66 at that location?
According to police, the goods lorry was stationary near a temporary traffic diversion created as part of the ongoing NH-66 widening and construction project. Whether adequate warning signs or lighting were in place is part of the ongoing investigation.
What is the current status of the investigation?
Personnel from Kaipamangalam police station have initiated an inquiry. Investigators are examining both vehicles and gathering evidence from the scene to determine the precise sequence of events, including the circumstances of the lorry's parking near the construction diversion.
Is NH-66 in Kerala prone to accidents during construction?
NH-66 in Kerala has been undergoing extensive widening and construction, with multiple temporary diversions and altered traffic patterns in place across various stretches. Safety concerns around night-time visibility and parked vehicles near diversions have been flagged previously, and this accident is expected to renew scrutiny of contractor safety protocols on the corridor.
