At least 7 women returning from Karnataka were killed in a freak accident in this district on Monday when a stationary van crushed them after being hit from the rear by a lorry, the police said.
The victims were seated on the side of the road when the accident happened, they said.
About 13 persons who were injured in the mishap involving the two vehicles were admitted to local government hospitals.
According to a senior police official, the victims were part of a group from Onanguttai village, near Ambur in Vellore district, who had embarked on a trip to Dharmasala in Karnataka on September 8.
While they were returning home in two vans, the tyre of one of the vehicle burst, stranding the passengers at Natrampalli on the Bengaluru-Chennai national highway.
"The van driver was attending to the repair work after asking the tourists to disembark. Suddenly, a speeding lorry coming from Bengaluru hit the van from behind, and due to the impact the van overturned crushing seven women," he said.
The deceased have been identified as Meera, Deivanai, Sithammal alias Selvi, Devaki, Savithri, Kalavathi and Geethanjali, the police said.
Ten others who had travelled in the ill-fated van and three persons from the lorry have been admitted to the Tirupathur and Vaniyambadi government hospitals.
The Natrampalli police have registered a case.
Expressing heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 1 lakh to each of the affected family.
Also, Rs 50,000 will be paid through the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to the injured undergoing treatment, he said in a statement.
