Four members of a family, including a journalist, his wife and their two children, were killed after their car plunged into the Mahanadi river at the Tila Anicut near Rajim in Chhattisgarh's Gariaband district on Diwali night, ANI reported on Monday, quoting police.

Source: ANI via Devdiscourse

Gariaband Additional Superintendent of Police Karan Uikey told ANI that the family was travelling from Raipur towards their hometown when the car fell from the Tila Anicut. The deceased were identified as Sheetal Sahu, his wife Bharti, their 19-year-old son Vikash and their 21-year-old daughter Purva.

Source: ANI via Devdiscourse

A few kilometres from home

Chhattisgarh news outlets CG Prayag News and Dispatch News reported that the family belonged to Pasaud village in the Fingeshwar area and was returning home after Diwali in Raipur when the car went out of control near the anicut at around 1 am, only a few kilometres from the village. Sheetal Sahu, 44, was a journalist, and the car carried a 'Media Executive' label, the reports said.

Source: CG Prayag News

According to CG Prayag News, when the family had not reached home by about 2 am, relatives went out searching and found four pillars of the anicut broken and the car in the river below, after which police were informed.

Source: CG Prayag News

Bodies recovered, investigation under way

ASP Uikey said police recovered the bodies and sent them to Champaran for further legal formalities, ANI reported. Regional outlets said Champaran and Gobra Navapara police reached the spot and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination.

Source: Sach Aap Tak

Police said an investigation is under way to establish how the car went off the anicut into the river, and that the exact cause would be known only after the probe, ANI and the regional reports said.

Source: Dispatch News