Lorry crash claims lives of at least seven women in Tamil Nadu's Tirupathur

At least seven women returning from Karnataka were killed in a freak accident in Tamil Nadu's Tirupathur district on Monday, 11 September when a stationary van crushed them after being hit from the rear by a lorry, police said.

The victims were sitting on the roadside when the accident happened, they said.

Thirteen people were injured in the accident and they 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 8 September .

While they were returning home in two vans, the tyre of one of the vehicles 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, police said.

The injured -- 10 who were travelling in the van and three in the lorry -- have been admitted to the Tirupathur and the 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.

In a statement, he also said that Rs 50,000 will be paid from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund to those undergoing treatment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the accident and announced an ex-gratia Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each deceased.

He was quoted as saying in a post on X by his office: "Saddened by the loss of lives due to a road mishap in Tirupathur, Tamil Nadu. Condolences to the bereaved families. I pray that the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000."