Five women workers were killed in a van–mini lorry collision in Mettukadai village near Komarapalayam on Tuesday evening.
Police sources said that the driver of the van transporting workers from nearby villages employed in a private spinning mill in Veppadai lost control of the vehicle, due to which it capsized.
A speeding mini-lorry coming in the opposite direction collided with the capsized van, killing three women on the spot. About 15 others suffered injuries and were rushed to Government Headquarters Hospital in Erode, where two more women succumbed to their injuries.
Komarapalayam police have registered a case and are investigating further.
