Nine persons, including three women and a child, were killed and three injured after a lorry rammed their van at Thapathi in the district in the wee hours on Monday, police said.

There were 23 persons in the van and they were returning to Irukangudi in Virudhunagar district after attending a function at Puthiyamputur near Tuticorin when the mishap occurred.

One of the tyres of the van burst. The driver was changing the tyre when the lorry rammed the van from behind, killing eight people on the spot.

Four persons who sustained serious injuries were rushed to a hospital and one of them died later, police said.

The driver of the lorry later surrendered at Ettiyapuram police station.

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