Four occupants of a van, including a four-year-old boy, died and five others were injured when the vehicle collided with a lorry on the East Coast Road at Senthalaipattinam in the district in the early hours on Thursday.
A group of people was returning to Porayar in Nagapattinam district in the van after touring various places when the accident occurred.
Police sources said the lorry collided head-on with the van causing the death of four persons on board the vehicle. The victims were identified as N.Jothi (80) S.Vijaya (68) V.Sivaji Raj (4) and G.Ilangovan (45). Barring Ilangovan who expired on the way to the hospital, the rest died on the spot, police sources said.
The van was completely damaged. The Sethubavachatram police have registered a case.