Thrissur: Eight people were killed after a car crashed into the rear of a parked goods lorry on National Highway 66 at Panambikkunnu in Kaipamangalam, Thrissur. 

Five of the deceased have been identified as Vishwa (20), a native of Salem; Surya (20) and Yuvasanjith (20), natives of Dindigul; and Santhosh (20) and Prasanna, natives of Madurai. Three others are yet to be identified. All of them are students of P S M Engineering College in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.

The accident occurred around midnight at Panambikkunnu Centre, where the lorry was parked at a diversion on the under-construction stretch of the highway. A Tamil Nadu-registered car (TN 59 DW 8299) rammed into the rear of the lorry.

The impact completely mangled the car, trapping the occupants inside. Rescue personnel had to cut open the vehicle to extricate them. According to preliminary information, all eight occupants died at the spot.

Kaipamangalam police reached the spot and began an investigation.