Three lawyers were killed after the car they were travelling in plunged into a roadside well near Gingee in Villupuram district on Monday.
Police said four advocates were returning to Chennai after completing a pilgrimage to Tiruvannamalai when the accident occurred. The car reportedly went out of control and fell into a roadside well near Senji.
Preliminary inquiries suggest that the mishap may have occurred after the driver dozed off at the wheel.
On receiving information from passersby, fire and rescue services personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. The bodies of three victims were recovered and sent to the government hospital for post-mortem examination.
Police said efforts are under way to trace the fourth occupant, and further investigation is in progress.
