Thoppur Kanavai Accidents: The Haunted Deathtrap of Tamil Nadu

Thoppur Kanavai is considered one of the most dangerous roads in Tamil Nadu, following the death of many. Locals even say that the road is haunted due to continuous death. Let's now dig into key incidents that happened in the Thoppur road.

India is one of the top-row countries when it comes to frequent road accidents. Over the past years, the Indian government has been undergoing various measures to minimize road accidents by enhancing safety standards, improving road conditions, and introducing rigid traffic rules.

Tamil Nadu is one of the Indian states where most road accidents have occurred, as per research. Whenever you hear about road accidents in Tamil Nadu, you can never ignore the name Thoppur Kanavai. This place in Tamil Nadu has become the talk after the major accidents that have happened there. 

Thoppur - Hill Town in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu

Thoppur is a hill town in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. This place lies between Salem and Dharmapuri districts on NH44.

The place is well-known for the Holy Pilgrimage Center (Thoppur Dhargah). One more thing is that the place is also known for the major accidents that have continuously occurred there.

Frequent Road Accidents are Not a New Thing to the Place!

The deceptive Thoppur Ghat is a part of Salem to Bengaluru Highway NH44, about 35 km short of Salem. It is a 4 to 6-kilometre downhill stretch with many accident records.

All the vehicles, from big to small, like trucks, buses, cars, and two-wheelers, utilize this NH road consistently. The Salem airport is also located on this route.

Research shows more than 558 accidents happened in this particular Thoppur ghat between 2012 and 2021.

One of the Most Accident Prone Areas in Tamil Nadu

The Thoppur ghat stretch is as wide as the rest of the highway, which is also curvy and steep. Both light and heavily loaded vehicles tend to speed along this ghat as per its natural downhill gradient.

The NHAI officials have also taken steps to reduce the frequent accidents by providing visual and audio warnings and asking the vehicles to slow down.

Regional Transport Office states that despite all these consistent warnings, there could be other reasons if an accident occurs. The road construction is poor, with excessive bends causing drivers to lose control of their vehicles, leading to collisions or overturning.

At this ghat road, traffic jams are already an inconvenience, and there could also be more possibilities for more deadly collisions.

Recent Horrible Accident at Thoppur Kanavai

On January 24, 2024, five vehicles collided with one another in the Thoppur Kanavai area. A truck involved in the accident plunged down the bridge and crashed.

In this tragic accident, two lorries and three cars collided on the Thoppur Kanavai double bridge. The seriously injured were taken to the Government Medical College, Dharmapuri.

Three people have lost their lives in this horrible accident on the spot, and one died in the hospital. The bodies of the people who lost their lives have been recovered.

CM Stalin Announces Compensation

The Police retrieved the remains of the victims from the site where the tragic accident happened. The Police then investigated the scene, and it was then known that the victims were the natives of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

On the following Thursday, TN Chief Minister M.K. Stalin condoled the tragic death of the victims who belonged to the same family. Later, he also announced a solatium of two lakh rupees for the dead victims and fifty thousand rupees for the injured.

Therefore, it is highly advised to check your vehicle's condition before driving to hilly or sloped areas. Additionally, it would be best if you maintained the instructed speed to avoid such tragic accidents.

Following the traffic rules and regulations will only help save more lives on the roads. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has floated tenders for Rs.775 crores to elevate the highway on the Thoppur Ghat section, with the aim of minimizing deadly accidents in the area. The 6.6 km extended highway will be built with proper safety measures and is expected to prevent future accidents.