Nine people died and three were badly hurt when a State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) bus veered off the road and smashed into two SUVs near Thittakudi on Wednesday night. The bus was travelling from Tiruchi to Chennai. Police said the bus’s front tyre burst. The driver lost control, and the bus crossed the median before hitting the two cars. All nine who died were inside the two SUVs. Ramanatham police quickly reached the crash site. They recovered the bodies and sent them for post-mortem. The accident caused heavy traffic jams on the Tiruchi-Chennai National Highway. Police are still identifying the victims. This sad event struck late on December 24, 2025.