MP: 16 killed as vehicle ferrying labourers and their families overturns

In a tragic road mishap, 16 persons, including six kids and seven women, were killed and around 25 were injured when a pickup vehicle ferrying about 45 persons, mostly labourers and their families, overturned in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh late night on Wednesday.

According to the police, the incident occurred near Chikaliya Fata on the Indore-Ahmedabad highway at around 9 pm.

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The survivors and some eyewitnesses told the police that the speeding pickup overturned as a result of tyre burst and crossed the road divider before colliding with a Scorpio coming in the opposite lane of the road.

The vehicle rolled over about three to four times resulting in the death of several persons on the spot.

Police and rescuers rushed to the spot on receiving information about the incident. The injured were admitted to a hospital for treatment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and extended condolences to the bereaved families. He announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and ₹50,000 for the injured from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav also conveyed his condolences and announced financial assistance of ₹4 lakh for the families of the deceased, ₹1 lakh for the seriously injured, and ₹50,000 for those with minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the last rites of the deceased were carried out on Thursday in their respective native villages of Rampura, Nayapura, and Semlipura in the Dhar district.