Tamil Nadu: 5 Riding on Two-Wheeler Killed in Collision With Tourist Vehicle in Thoothukudi

Five people, including two young children, were killed on the spot on Sunday evening, February 16, after their motorcycle collided head-on with a tourist van on the East Coast Road (ECR). The accident occurred at approximately 5:00 pm near Vaippar–1 village in the Vilathikulam taluk of Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu.

The victims have been identified as Gurusamy, 40, a lorry driver from Pallakulam; his sister Muthulakshmi, 48; a family domestic worker, Mary, 52; and two young boys, Mugil Arasan, 5, and Sumithran, 3. 

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Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu: A road accident occurred around 5 PM on 15.02.2026 on the East Coast Road near Vaippar–1 village, under Vilathikulam taluk of Thoothukudi district. Gurusamy (40), a resident of Pallakulam village, was travelling on a two-wheeler along with his relatives.…

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2026

Gurusamy, who lived in Kulathur Sundaralingam with his two children, had reportedly taken his sister, his nephews (the sons of his brother Muniyasamy), and the family’s domestic help to visit relatives in Vilathikulam for the holiday. The group was returning home to Kulathur when the collision occurred.

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According to local reports, all five individuals were travelling on a single motorcycle along the East Coast Road. As they approached the Vaippar area, a tourist van travelling from Sayalkudi in Ramanathapuram towards Thoothukudi struck the motorcycle head-on.

The impact was so severe that all five riders were thrown from the vehicle. Emergency responders from the Vaippar police station arrived to find all five victims had died at the scene.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin issued a statement on Monday expressing "great sadness" over the loss of life. He has sanctioned an ex-gratia payment of Rs 3 lakh each to the kin of the deceased from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.