The deceased was identified as Anushiya of Amirthapalaiyam and the injured Mohanalakshmi (20), Kalpana (22) and three others, all from the same locality and working in a private firm in Puthupakkam near Kelambakkam.

On Thursday night, after finishing their duty, a van which belongs to the firm was returning to Amirthapalaiyam near Tiruporur with 12 women employees.

Police said the driver was speeding from the beginning since the road was empty in the midnight and he did not listen to the women when they asked him to slow down. Around 12.30 am when on Puthupakkam-Tiruporur road, which was in a bad condition and slippery due to the rain, the driver lost the control of the vehicle and it turned turtle.

In the impact, Anushiya died on the spot with severe injuries while five others suffered injuries. The van driver managed to escape from the spot after the incident.

The Tirukalukundram police arrived at the spot and sent the body for post-mortem and admitted the injured women to the hospital.

The police have registered a case and a search is on for the van driver who is absconding.