Five dead in road accident in Gujarat

A road-trip turned into a tragedy for a group of youngsters when the SUV they were traveling in met with accident, killing five of them, near Junagadh in Gujarat on Thursday morning.

Ishan Meer (25), one of the deceased, was known as a car enthusiast in local circles, and had numerous photos of himself driving high-end cars on Instagram where he had over 26,000 fans.

The speeding Sports Utility Vehicle, being driven by Ishan, fell into a culvert after breaking the roadside protection wall and hit an electricity pole, police said.

Meer, his cousin Ejaz Chandani (19) and their friends Bhavik Makwana (24), Payal Lathiya (20) and Kunjan Aparnathi (20) died on the spot.

Sunil Solanki (24) and Ishan's brother Saman Meer (15) escaped with serious injuries. They were being treated at Junagadh civil hospital, police said.

The group was returning to Junagadh after visiting Sasan-Gir forest, said sub-inspector N B Chauhan of Vanthali police station.

"It seems that Ishan Meer, who was driving, lost control of the vehicle," he said.

The SUV was badly mangled in the accident, the police officer said, adding that investigation was on to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.