Eight engineering students from Tamil Nadu were killed around midnight on Friday when their car collided with a goods truck parked on National Highway 66 in Thrissur district, Kerala. The accident occurred on an under-construction stretch of the highway at Panambikkunnu Centre in Kaipamangalam, according to police.

The victims were students of PSNA College in Dindigul. Police identified them as V Viswa of Salem, who was driving, I Suriya, Jeeva N, K Yuvasanjith of Dindigul, and G Santhosh, R Prasanna, Joshua Hilson J and M Muralikrishnan M of Madurai. All were about 20 years old.

Police said the truck driver had allegedly parked the vehicle illegally and fled the scene. An FIR has been filed under Section 105 of the BNS for culpable homicide. The driver is absconding.

Police used student ID cards recovered from the site to contact the families, some of whom were unaware their sons had traveled to Kerala.