Chhattisgarh: Death toll in Balrampur SUV accident rises to 8

Balrampur: Two more persons have died after a sports utility vehicle (SUV) fell into a pond in Chhattisgarh’s Balrampur district, taking the toll to eight, police said on Sunday.

While one more body was recovered from the accident site late Saturday night, the vehicle’s driver succumbed to his injuries while being shifted to hospital, a senior police official told PTI.

Earlier, six persons were reported killed after the SUV fell into the roadside pond between 8 pm and 8.30 pm on Saturday at Ladua turn on Budha Bagicha main road under Rajpur police station limits.

The victims were heading from Larima (Balrampur) to neighbouring Surajpur district, the official said.

As per preliminary information, the driver failed to negotiate the turn following which the SUV skidded off the road and plunged into the small pond, he said.

After being alerted, a police team was rushed to the spot.

Six bodies were initially fished out of the pond, while the driver was rescued in a serious condition, the official said.

Later, one more body was found and the driver succumbed to injuries while being shifted to hospital, he said.

The SUV was also pulled out of the pond using a machine, the official said.

The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Munda (35), his wife Chandravati (35), their daughter Kirti (8), their neighbours Mangal Das (19), Bhupendra Munda (18), Baleshwar (18) and Udaynath (20) and driver Mukesh Das (26), he said.