Sagar (Madhya Pradesh), November 9: Four people were killed and five others injured on Monday morning when a speeding truck rammed head-on into a Maruti Ertiga SUV on National Highway 44 in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported, citing officials.

Source: PTI via Daily World

The collision took place near Gopalpura village, under the Deori police station limits, when the truck came from the opposite direction and struck the SUV, which was carrying all nine passengers, Nation Press reported.

Source: Nation Press

4People killed
5People injured
9Occupants of the SUV — all from Bhainsa village

Pilgrims on their way to the Narmada

All nine occupants of the SUV were residents of Bhainsa village. They were travelling to Barman in neighbouring Narsinghpur district to take a holy dip in the Narmada River on the occasion of Amavasya, according to the reports.

Deori Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Munawar Khan confirmed the toll: 'Four persons died in the accident, while the five injured have been admitted to Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital.' The injured were first taken to a hospital in Deori and then transferred to the medical college in Sagar for advanced care, and the bodies of the dead were sent for post-mortem examination.

Source: Nation Press

Truck driver fled, police search on

Personnel from Deori police station reached the spot after receiving information and, with the help of local residents, pulled the trapped passengers out of the mangled vehicle, the reports said.

The truck driver fled the scene immediately after the collision, abandoning his vehicle. Police have registered a case and launched a search to trace and arrest him, and are examining whether speeding or negligence caused the crash, according to the reports.