Agar Malwa: Eight devotees from Odisha, including three children and two women, were killed after the car they were travelling in fell into a rain-swollen drain in Madhya Pradesh’s Agar Malwa district in the early hours of Saturday, police said.
The accident took place near the Bagulamukhi temple in Nalkheda town, around 30 km from the Agar Malwa district headquarters. The vehicle reportedly fell into the overflowing drain while the devotees were travelling in the area.
Nalkheda police station in-charge Shashi Upadhyay said all eight occupants of the car died in the accident. The victims included three children, two women and three men.
Car falls into drain near Bagulamukhi temple
According to the police, the accident occurred when the car carrying the devotees from Odisha fell into a drain that had become swollen with rainwater.
The incident took place during the early hours, when the water level in the drain was high. The vehicle fell into the water, leaving the occupants trapped inside.
The Bagulamukhi temple in Nalkheda is a religious destination visited by devotees from different parts of the country. The presence of the devotees from Odisha in the area was confirmed by the police following the accident.
Officials have not yet released the identities of all the victims or provided further details about their journey.
Police launch rescue operation
Following information about the accident, personnel from the Nalkheda police station launched a rescue operation at the spot.
Police and rescue personnel worked to retrieve the vehicle and recover the bodies from the swollen drain. All eight victims were subsequently recovered from the accident site.
The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination as part of the formal investigation into the incident.
The police are also working to establish the exact circumstances that led to the car falling into the drain. Further details, including how the accident occurred and the identities of the deceased, are awaited.
Case registered and investigation underway
The Nalkheda police have registered a case in connection with the accident and begun further investigation.
Police officials are expected to gather information about the route taken by the devotees, the condition of the road and the circumstances immediately preceding the accident.
The condition of the drain and the impact of heavy rainfall are also relevant to the investigation, as the water body was reportedly overflowing with rainwater at the time of the incident.
Authorities will determine the precise sequence of events based on the investigation and available evidence.
Eight devotees among the deceased
The accident claimed the lives of eight people travelling together in the car. According to police, the deceased comprised three children, two women and three men.
The deaths have brought attention to the dangers posed by swollen drains and waterlogged areas during periods of heavy rain. Such conditions can make roads and crossings difficult to navigate, particularly during the night and early morning hours.
The police have not yet disclosed further information regarding the victims’ ages or their relationship with one another.
Further details awaited
The investigation remains underway, with police continuing to collect information about the accident.
The post-mortem examinations are expected to form part of the official process following the deaths. Police will also establish the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s movement and its fall into the rain-swollen drain.
As the investigation progresses, authorities are expected to release further details about the victims and the accident.
The incident has resulted in the deaths of eight devotees from Odisha, including three children and two women, after their vehicle fell into a drain near the Bagulamukhi temple in Nalkheda.