Thrissur: A tragic accident claimed the lives of five people, including two children, when a truck rammed into a roadside tent where they were sleeping in Nattika, Thrissur, early Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred at 4:30 am on a national highway within the Valapad police station limits. The victims were part of a nomadic group living in makeshift tents along the highway.

Two women and two children, aged one-and-a-half and four years, were among the deceased. Five others sustained injuries, with two individuals in critical condition. The injured were rushed to Thrissur Government Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Police have detained the truck's driver and cleaner for further investigation into the cause of the crash.