Two engineering students killed after bike collides with truck

ALAPPUZHA: Two engineering students were killed after the two-wheeler they were riding collided with a truck and caught fire near Nangiarkulangara junction at Haripad on Thursday morning.
Police said Sankar Kumar, 22, son of Sivakumar, Umbarnadu, Mavelikkara, was charred to death at the scene itself.
Kiran Krishnan, 21, son of Unnikrishnan, a resident of Karakkad, Chengannur, died while being shifted to the medical college hospital here.
The duo was returning home after a road trip to Kodaikanal and Palani with their college mates.
“The deceased were third-year mechanical engineering students of Karpagam University, Coimbatore, and were on a 10-day vacation from November 2. They returned to Coimbatore, and began the trip on November 5. One of their friends from Adoor, Joji Thomas, and five others from Kozhikode and Thrissur, too, were part of the trip,” Haripad police subinspector K Saji said.
Initial investigation revealed that the students didn’t have enough rest. After reaching Coimbatore, the deceased and Thomas left for their respective homes on Wednesday night.
Police said Thomas was riding a bike alone, while Kumar was riding another bike, an RE Himalayan, with Krishnan on the pillion seat. Krishnan had bought the bike about two months ago.
Thomas was around 300 metres ahead when the accident occurred, police said. The bike collided with the truck carrying plastic furniture from Thirunelveli to Ernakulam. The two-wheeler caught fire on impact, and was gutted.
Police said Kumar fell near the bike and was charred to death before local residents could help. Krishnan, too, had suffered burns.
“The cause of the fire is not ascertained and we have sought the help of the motor vehicles department. The local residents could not douse the fire, and it was later put out by the fire brigade and police,” police circle inspector T Manoj said.
Police were suspecting that the riders might had been fatigued by the long trip, causing the accident.
The deceased student’s college mate, K Sethupathy of Tanjavur, said the duo was inseparable and loved riding.
The bodies have been handed over to their relatives after legal and medical examinations, police said.