Eight, including three children, killed while attempting to cross drain in Madhya Pradesh

Eight people, including three children and two women, were killed in a major accident in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday. A fast-flowing, rain-swollen drain reportedly caused the accident. 

According to the Agar Malwa police, the incident took place near the Baglamukhi temple in Nalkheda. A family of devotees, including the son, grandson, granddaughter, daughter and son-in-law, were travelling from Ujjain in a hired car to visit the temple. 

All eight were killed, including the taxi driver, after the car was swept away in the strong current while attempting to cross a swollen stream. They were all found trapped inside the submerged vehicle.

 “The car carrying devotees was swept away in the overflowing drain near the temple,” said Agar Malwa SP Dileep Soni. 

The driver was identified as Arun Goyal from Baroda in Agar Malwa district. The family was reportedly from Bhubaneswar in Odisha. Local media reports indicate that the family took annual trips outside Odisha. The family was preparing for the engagement ceremony for one of their daughters, which was scheduled to take place in a few days. 

Upon receiving the information, administrative officials and rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. The vehicle was pulled out of the drain, but all eight passengers were declared dead by the doctor. 

District collector Sher Singh Meena said the area had recorded 3.7 inches, or 37 mm, of rainfall in the past 24 hours, which caused the drain in front of the temple to swell. However, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), 37mm is not considered to be extreme rainfall. Locals are protesting after the incident, demanding proper infrastructure in the area, including a bridge to cross the drain.