Kochi: All four members of a family were killed when their Tata Safari car skidded off the main road and fell into a 200-metre- deep quarry at Thiruvankulam, 14 km off Kochi, on Sunday night.
The victims were identified as Kerala Water Authority assistant engineer (Thodupuzha section) V.V. Viju, 42, wife Sheeba, 35, daughter Meenakshi, 7, and son Surya alias Kichu, 4. Sheeba was the managing partner of Aditya Constructions in Thodupuzha.
The mishap happened at Sastham Mukal on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi national highway around 11 p.m. as the family was returning to Thodupuzha after shopping in Kochi.
“The car might have veered off the main road while negotiating a sharp curve and entered into a bylane on the right side. It further covered 50 metres before hitting the barricade and falling into the abandoned quarry filled with water. What led the vehicle to deviate from the main road is still unclear and we’re probing this part,” said Mr Radha Krishnan, Sub-Inspector.
Though Viju is a native of Senapati, Idukki, the family was staying in a rented house at Thodupuzha. “When they reached Kakkanad, he had phoned his parents to say they were on their way back and that they would reach home in an hour,” the officer said.
The place was deserted and no one was aware of the mishap till Monday morning. A local vegetable vendor, who was on his way to the shop, noticed the broken barricade and the car tyre floating in the water, and alerted the cops.
Sheeba’s body was fished out first and then that of Surya. However, the Fire Force’s attempts to lift the car out of water using a recovery van failed. Then a large crane was brought and the vehicle was pulled out using long ropes.
“The bodies of both Viju and Meenakshi were found trapped inside the car. We’re yet to ascertain the exact cause of the mishap. But an examination of the car revealed many dents which suggests it collided multiple times,” said Mr K.M. Shaji, Regional Transport Officer.
Residents said the spot is accident-prone due to the sharp curve. However, after a few mishaps in the past, the authorities had done fencing and constructed a concrete protection wall.
“The car deviated from the Kochi-Madurai national highway and entered into a small road on the right side. It then ran down the road before breaking the protection wall and falling into the quarry having a depth of over 200 metres. It seems that the driver tried to avoid some collision while overtaking as the vehicle veered of the road and entered the bylane,” police said.
A case was lodged and a probe is on into the cause of the mishap. The bodies were sent for autopsy.
