Chennai, Jan 27(IANS): Three cadres of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) were killed and 14 others injured in a head-on collision between a van and a lorry at Naraiyur on the Salem-Vriddhachalam highway in Tamil Nadu on Saturday.

The deceased were identified as N. Uthirakumar, 29, V. Yuvaraj, 17 and A. Anbu Selvan.

Police said 25 cadres of the VCK were returning to Villianur near Bhuvanagiri from Bhuvanagiri in Cuddalore district in the van after attending a party conference at Siruganur near Tiruchi on Friday evening.

At around 2.50 a.m. when the vehicle was near Naraiyur, the driver lost control over the vehicle and it collided head-on with a goods lorry coming from the opposite direction.

Police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Veppur rushed to the spot and commenced the rescue operations.

The injured were rushed to Vriddachalam, Veppur, and Perambalur Government Hospitals.

Lorry driver K. Senthil Gavaskar, 37 was referred to Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) while the van driver S. Chiranjeevi, 26 was referred to the Tiruchi GH.