Three people died in a serious accident early Thursday near Mavila on the Anchal-Punalur stretch of Hill Highway. At around 1 a.m., an autorickshaw heading towards Karavalur crashed into a tourist bus carrying Sabarimala pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh. The driver of the autorickshaw, Akshay, 23, from Choorakkulam, Thazhamel, died instantly. Two passengers, Sruthi Lakshmi, 16, from Karavalur, and Jyothi Lakshmi, 21, from Choorakkulam, were rushed to a private hospital in Anchal but could not be saved. They had been travelling from Jyothi Lakshmi's house to Sruthi Lakshmi's house when the collision happened. The incident shocked the local community and highlights the dangers on the Hill Highway during night travel.