Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Nov 19: In a devastating early-morning accident on South Beach Road in Thoothukudi, three trainee doctors from the Thoothukudi Government Medical College and Hospital (TKGMCH) lost their lives, while two others sustained serious injuries.

The victims were identified as S. Sarooban (23) from Coimbatore, P. Rahul Jebastian (23) from Pudukottai, and S. Mukilan (23) from Tirupattur. All three were undergoing medical training at TKGMCH.

The survivors — R. Kiruthikkukmar (23) of Thoothukudi and Saran (23) of Tirupattur — are receiving treatment at the same hospital.

According to police reports, the group of five had been travelling in a sedan driven by Sarooban at dawn along the rain-soaked South Beach Road. Investigators believe the car was moving at high speed when it skidded on the slippery surface. The driver is thought to have lost control while navigating a curve near a barricade, causing the vehicle to swerve off the road and crash into a roadside tree.

Passers-by immediately alerted the Thoothukudi South Police and Fire and Rescue Services. Rescue teams rushed to the scene, working to free the injured from the severely damaged vehicle.

Rahul Jebastian and Sarooban were declared dead at the spot due to the impact. Mukilan, critically injured, was rushed to TKGMCH but suffered a sudden cardiac arrest shortly after arrival and could not be saved despite emergency intervention.

The two surviving trainees, Kiruthikkukmar and Saran, both with multiple injuries, are currently in the Intensive Care Unit. Hospital authorities describe their condition as serious but stable.

Police have registered a case and are investigating factors including overspeeding, poor visibility, and wet road conditions following overnight rain.

The tragedy has left the TKGMCH community in deep shock, with classmates and faculty grieving the loss of three young doctors whose promising careers were just beginning.