8 Tamil Nadu students killed in Kerala crash

Eight people, believed to be engineering students from Tamil Nadu, died in a severe road accident on National Highway 66 in Kerala's Thrissur district. The collision occurred around midnight on Friday, September 4, 2026, when the car they were traveling in rammed into a stationary goods lorry. The accident took place at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam, a stretch of the highway where construction work is underway, necessitating temporary diversions. The car, which bore a Tamil Nadu registration, crashed into the rear of the parked lorry. The impact was so severe that the vehicle was extensively mangled, trapping its occupants. Rescue operations were immediately launched by local residents, fire and rescue personnel, and police. Firefighters had to cut open the wreckage to extricate the victims. Seven of the eight occupants of the car died at the accident site. The eighth person was rushed to a nearby hospital but could not be saved. The deceased are suspected to be students from Tamil Nadu.