Major accident in Chattisgarh: Two children among 11 dead in SUV-truck collision in Balod

Balod: In Chhattisgarh's Balod district, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) carrying eleven people, including five women and two children, collided with a truck, said police on Thursday. 

The victims, who are natives of Soram-Bhatgaon village in the Dhamtari district, were en route to a wedding, according to the police, who also noted that the accident occurred on National Highway-30 on Wednesday night close to Jagtara village in the Purur police station area.

Also read: Mega Buland Bharat exercise near China border to 'maximize target destruction' (PHOTOS)

According to the Station House Officer of Purur Police Station Arun Kumar Sahu, the victims were on their way to a wedding in Markatola Village of Kanker District when their car struck the truck head-on. Ten passengers in the Mahindra Bolero died at the spot, but one child died of his injuries as he was being taken to the hospital, he claimed.

He added that efforts are being made to find the truck driver who fled the scene while still in control of his vehicle and that the remains have been transferred for postmortem examination.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has expressed grief over the incident. Taking to Twitter, he wrote, " It has just been reported that 10 people have died and one girl is in critical condition in a collision between a Bolero and a truck going to a marriage function near Balodgahan between Purur and Charma in Balod. May God give peace to the departed souls and courage to their families, I pray for the recovery of the injured girl."

Earlier, a similar accident took place in Bihar where seven people, including children, were killed and four others injured when a speeding truck rammed into a three-wheeler.