Eight persons, including two children, were killed and more than 15 injured, when the Government bus in which they were travelling collided head on with a goods lorry near Pollachi in the district, today.

The dead included a four-year old boy, a four-month old girl and four women, police said.

The bus was going from Palladam to Pollachi, while the lorry was travelling from the opposite direction, when the mishap occurred near Karumapuram at the Pollachi-Palladam junction.

Meanwhile, the injured have been admitted to the Government hospital in Pollachi, they said.

The bus was totally mangled under the impact of the collision, they said.