Driver 'sleeps,' car hits tree; 6 killed in Tamil Nadu

Five people belonging to a family and a car driver were killed while two children sustained injuries after the vehicle they were travelling in hit a tree near here on Thursday, police said.

The accident occurred during the wee hours today at Pathiri village near Tindivanam, about 38 km from here and all the six bodies have been brought to the government medical college hospital here for autopsy.

The two injured children aged four and nine were being treated at the same facility, the official said.

An eight year old girl also died.

"It appears the driver slept moments before the mishap at about 5.15 am when the vehicle was on the highway in the periphery of Pathiri village," a police official at the jurisdictional police station told PTI quoting an eye-witness account.

As soon as the vehicle hit the tree, the driver lost control, he said.

The family, belonging to a village in Tirunelveli district were on their way to Kancheepuram where they own a business.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami, condoling the deaths, announced a solatium of Rs one lakh each to the kin of those dead.

Expressing grief, he said, in another road mishap in Pudukottai district, three men died on the spot and the families of these three men would also get an assistance of Rs one lakh each.

The Villupuram and Pudukottai district administrations havebeen directed to provide all necessary assistance to the familiesof the dead and extend best medical treatment to those injured, he said.

An amount of Rs 50,000 would be provided to severely injuredand Rs 25,00 for minor injuries, he said in a statement.