COIMBATORE: Five people, including two toddlers, died after a private bus rammed two two-wheelers, which in turn crashed into a lorry moving in front, in Salem on Wednesday.

Police said R Murugan (33), a land surveyor in Krishnagiri, his wife Nandini (28), and their two-year-old son Kavin were bound to a marriage function in Salem on a two-wheeler. Similarly, Lakshmanan (31), a construction labourer from Veeranam, his wife Vedavalli (28), and sons Chinnadurai (6) and Dileep (4), and a relative’s 15-month-old daughter Rithika were heading to a relative’s house in Valasaiyur in Salem.

Meanwhile, a goods-laden lorry was heading to a private firm in Namakkal from Harur in Dharmapuri. When nearing Sukkampatti on Tirupattur-Salem road, the lorry slowed down while moving over a speed breaker. The two two-wheelers behind it also slowed down. However, the speeding bus proceeding to Salem hit the two-wheelers, crushing them between it and the lorry.

In the impact, Murugan, Nandini and their son died on the spot. Vedavalli and Rithika died on the spot, while the other three, including the two children, were admitted to hospital. Nine other passengers in the bus were also admitted to Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital.

The police have registered a case and are on the lookout for the bus driver Ramesh. The bodies of the deceased were sent for postmortem examination at the government hospital.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced Rs two lakh compensation to the families of the deceased, one lakh to critically injured and Rs 50,000 to the other injured people from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.