Betul, Aug 22 — Three people, including a husband and wife, were killed and eight others injured when their SUV rammed into a truck parked on the roadside in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district early Saturday, police said.
The accident occurred around 3 a.m. near Jeetu Dhaba on the Multai four-lane road when the Mahindra Xylo, carrying devotees from Maharashtra, crashed into the rear of the stationary truck, they said.
“The SUV collided with the rear of a truck parked along the roadside. Three people died in the accident, while eight others were injured,” a police official said.
The victims, all residents of the Butibori coal mine area near Nagpur (Maharashtra), were travelling to Kubereshwar Dham in Sehore to offer prayers during the Sawan month, police said.
The collision was so severe that the SUV was badly damaged. The injured included children. A 108 ambulance was rushed to the spot after the accident.
The injured were taken to the government hospital in Multai, where they received initial treatment before being referred to Nagpur for further medical care.
The deceased have been identified as Deepak (42) and his wife Chhaya (40). The identity of the third victim, a woman, was yet to be established, police said.
“Prima facie, we suspect that the driver may have dozed off and failed to notice the truck parked on the roadside. However, the exact cause of the accident will be known only after the investigation,” the police official said.
The injured have been identified as Naitik (10), Ujjwala (45), Nita (25), Anushka (18), Sangeeta Eknath, Shambhu, Prajwal and Saurabh Chande (30), who was driving the SUV.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Officials are examining the condition and position of the parked truck, the road conditions and other factors to ascertain the exact circumstances leading to the accident.
The bodies of the deceased were sent for post-mortem examination, while efforts are underway to establish the identity of the third victim, police said.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the risks of night-time highway travel, particularly for groups of pilgrims.