Five devotees, including a woman, on 'padayatra' were fatally knocked down by a speeding van along the Thanjavur-Tiruchi national highway in the district early on Wednesday.
According to police, the victims, hailing from the Pudukottai district, were proceeding to Samayapuram Mariamman temple by road when the accident took place.
Early this morning, the van heading to Tiruchi mowed them down at Valambakudi village, 30 km from here.