THENMALA: Three girls were killed after an out-of-control pick-up van hit them at Thenmala in Kollam. The girls were walking along the Kollam-Thirumangalam National Highway, when the van hit them. The pick-up van, which lost control in the accident, overturned into a nearby field.

Shalini (14), a ninth class student of Edamon Vocational Higher Secondary School, daughter of Alex (Santhosh) and Sindhu, Shruthi (11), a sixth class student of Ottakkal Govt Welfare UP School, Kesiya, 16, a Plus Two student at the Higher Secondary School and daughter of Kunjumon-Suja (Gulf) couple at Netaji Tyson Bhavan was killed. Shalini and Shruthi are sisters.

The accident took place near Urukunnu Junction at 3.45 pm yesterday. The three were on their way to a shop run by Alex, the father of the deceased sisters and a BJP candidate from the sixth ward of Thenmala panchayath. The pickup van, which was on its way to Tamil Nadu after unloading goods in Kerala, went out of control and hit the children.

Shruthi and Kesiya died on the way to the Punalur Govt. taluk hospital. Shalini was pronounced dead at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. The pickup van was overturned on the left side of the road. The driver, Venkatesh, a native of Tamil Nadu, was taken into custody by Thenmala police.

The bodies of Shruti and Kesia are at Punalur Govt taluk hospital mortuary and Shalini's body is in the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital mortuary. The bodies will be handed over to relatives today after the Covid test and postmortem. Kesiya's brother: Tison.