Two persons died and 19 others suffered injuries after a light commercial vehicle carrying people from the Navamalai tribal settlement toppled near Aliyar on the Pollachi-Valparai Road in Coimbatore district on Thursday (July 17, 2025) morning.

The deceased have been identified as Rani, 45, of Navamalai, and Thilagaraj, of Ettithurai. Sanjay Kumar, 20, Mani, 40, and Maangarai, 40, who sustained severe injuries in the accident, were admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

The police said that the accident occurred around 8.15 a.m. when the vehicle carrying 20 persons from Navamalai — 15 men and five women, besides the driver — approached Chinnarpathi on the Pollachi-Valparai Road, en route to Kattampatti. Devapalan, 45, who was at the wheel, reportedly lost control of the vehicle and it overturned, killing Rani on the spot.

The 20 injured persons, including the driver, were rushed to the Government District Headquarters Hospital at Pollachi, where Thilagaraj died without responding to treatment. The police said that the condition of the three severely injured persons, who were admitted to CMCH, was critical.

The Aliyar police have registered a case and launched an investigation.

The accident has raised concerns about the safety of tribal people, who depened on mini good carriers for transportation from their settlements located inside the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR).

A similar accident had claimed the lives of five persons, after a mini lorry carrying 18 people from the Mavadappu tribal settlement fell into a 50-foot gorge at Kadamparai in ATR on October 10, 2018. Twelve others had suffered injuries in the accident.