Seven people, including two children, died and a woman was seriously injured after the car they were travelling in collided with a truck at Chengam in Thiruvannamalai district of Tamil Nadu on Sunday.
The accident occurred on the Tiruvannamalai-Bengaluru highway and the occupants of the car were returning home after visiting a temple in Tamil Nadu, police said.
The injured passenger has been admitted to a state-run hospital at Chengam.
The exact cause of the accident is not immediately known. A police official told news agency PTI that as per initial enquiries, the car had swerved to the opposite direction of the road.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Leader of Opposition K. Palaniswami condoled the deaths of people in the accident.
Stalin ordered a solatium of Rs two lakh to the families of each of the deceased an assistance of Rs one lakh to the injured woman.
Media reports suggest that the collision resulted in extensive damage to the car, and the bodies of the victims were retrieved after the vehicle was dismantled.
Police has registered a case and launched an investigation.
Further details awaited
