A speeding car carrying devotees crashes into the rear of a truck parked on the roadside near Jeetu Dhaba on the Multai four-lane road in Betul district. The impact is so severe that the car is badly wrecked.
Three people, including a husband and wife, die on the spot, while eight others suffer serious injuries. The accident takes place at around 3.30 am on Saturday.
According to police, all the occupants are devotees from the Butibori coal mines area near Nagpur, Maharashtra, and are travelling to Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore for darshan.
Police suspect the driver may have dozed off and failed to notice the truck parked on the roadside. However, the exact cause will be established after the investigation.
Husband and wife among 3 dead
Police identify two of the deceased as Chhaya, 40, and her husband Deepak, 42. The identity of the third deceased, a woman, is yet to be established. The bodies are sent for post-mortem examination.
8 injured, including driver; all referred to Nagpur
Eight people, including the car driver and children, are injured in the accident. After receiving information, a 108 ambulance reaches the spot and takes the injured to the government hospital in Multai.
Following initial treatment, all eight injured people are referred to Nagpur. Police register a case and begin investigating the accident.
The injured are identified as:
- Naitik, son of Upendra Gandhiwar, 10
- Ujjwala, wife of Mohan, 45
- Neeta, daughter of Anil, 25
- Anushka, daughter of Upendra, 18
- Sangeeta Eknath
- Shambhu, son of Nandan
- Prajwal, son of Deepak
- Saurabh, son of Nandkishore Chande, 30, driver
Front wheel breaks off, front seat forced back
According to an eyewitness, people rush to the spot after hearing the loud impact. By the time they arrive, two people sitting in the middle row of the car are already dead. The car’s front wheel has broken off completely, while the front seat has been pushed backwards. The roof is also severely damaged in the collision.
