7 Killed In SUV-Truck Collision In Chhattisgarh's Balod

Balod: Seven persons were killed and six others injured when the sports utility vehicle (SUV) they were travelling in collided with a truck in Chhattisgarh's Balod district, police said on Monday.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has expressed grief over the incident and instructed the district administration to provide the best medical assistance to the injured.

The accident occurred under the Daundi police station area late on Sunday night when the victims, natives of the Gunderdehi area in the district, were returning from a family function, they said.

"The vehicle collided head-on with the truck. Of the 13 occupants of the SUV, six died on the spot, while seven others suffered serious injuries," a police official here said.

The injured, including five women and a child, were shifted to a local community health centre and later referred to Rajnandgaon district hospital, the official said.

One of the injured persons died during treatment, he said.

The official said the deceased were identified as Durpat Prajapati (30), Yuvraj Sahu (30), the driver, and four women, Sumitra Bai Kumbhkar (50), Manisha Kumbhkar (35), Sagun Bai Kumbhkar (50) and Imla Bai (55), and seven-year-old Jignesh Kumbhkar.

An accidental death report has been registered, and further investigation is underway, he said.

The chief minister condoled the deaths and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. He has instructed the district administration to make arrangements for better treatment of the injured persons, an official statement said.