Truck mows into group of devotees in MP, seven killed

Three women and four minors were on Monday killed while at least 12 other people were injured when a speeding truck ploughed into a group of devotees near here, a police official said.

The incident occurred near Banjari Mata Temple at Parasia village on Lakhnadaun-Narsinghpur National Highway, about 90 km from the district headquarters. The victims were on their way to the temple to offer prayers on the occasion of the ongoing Navratri festival when they were hit by the truck, police said. 

“Seven persons, three of them women, were killed on the spot,” Lakhnadoun Police Station In-charge Shivraj Singh said. Seoni Collector Dhanraju S and Superintendent of Police A K Pandey visited the accident site. 

He said that the truck driver and his assistant fled from the mishap spot. The deceased were identified as Manohar (7), Ankit Nagesh (8), Saroj (10), Rajendra (10), Salak (55), Gangabai Patel (58), and Narmada Yadav (45), police said. Police have impounded the truck and launched a probe into the cause of the mishap that took place.