TIRUPPUR: Five persons, including three women, were killed after the car in which they were travelling collided head on with a tanker lorry in Alangium in Dharapuram on Thursday evening.
According to police, Balakrishnan (65), a resident of Dharapuram, and his family had gone by car to Dindigul to meet their relatives. After visiting Palani, the family was coming home. When the car neared Manakadavu on Palani Road on Thursday evening, it collided head-on with a tanker lorry.
The occupants of the car, including Balakrishnan, his wife Selvi (64), relatives Kalarani (55), Tamil Mani (50) and Chitra (45), were crushed to death. Tamil Mani was behind the wheel, and the lorry driver fled the spot.
A case was registered at Alangium police station. Preliminary investigation revealed that the car was speeding and none of the occupants was wearing seat belt. The bodies were taken to Dharapuram Government Hospital for post-mortem.
Chief Minister MK Stalin condoled the death and announced a compensation of `2 lakh to the kin of the victims from the CM Public Relief Fund.