Chennai/IBNS/UNI: In a freak accident, seven women were killed and ten others, including five women, were injured when a tourist van fell on them after it was rammed by a goods-laden lorry near Natrampalli in Tirupattur district of Tamil Nadu on the Chennai- Bengaluru National Highway (NH-44) on Monday.

According to reports, the deceased women were returning to their hometown near Permanbut town in Vellore district, about 70 km from the accident spot, after visiting various pilgrim centres in Karnataka when the accident occurred.

Police said the seven women, identified as--P.Selvi alias Settammal (55), M.Meera (51),S.Devaki (50), K.Kalavathi (50), K.Savitri (42), R.Geetanjali (35), and D.Devayani (32)--were sitting on the concrete median, after one of the front tires of the tourist van, in which they were returning to their hometown, got burst.

After parking the vehicle close to the median, the driver of the tourist vehicle was replacing the damaged tire, when a goods-laden lorry rammed into the rear side. In the impact, the tourist van fell on the seven women sitting on the median, killing them on the spot.

Ten people, including the tourist van driver and the lorry driver, received injuries and were admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital in Krishnagiri and Tirupattur and to the Government Taluk Hospital in Vaniyambadi for treatment.

Police and other district officials rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies to the Tirupattur government hospital for post-mortem.

Police said the deceased women along with eight of their relatives from Pernambut town, went on a visit to various pilgrims and tourist centres in Karnataka on Sept 8 by hiring a tourist van, when the tragedy occurred while they were returning home.