8 killed, 13 injured in collision between truck, SUV in MP's Sidhi

Eight persons were killed and 13 others injured after a collision between a truck and a sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district early on Monday, police said.

The incident took place at around 2.30 am near Upni petrol pump on Sidhi-Bahri Road, Deputy Superintendent of Police Gayatri Tiwari said.

The vehicles collided head-on when the SUV (a taxi service) carrying members of a family was going towards Maihar, while the truck was heading to Bahri from Sidhi, she said.

Seven persons travelling in the SUV died on the spot, the official said.

Out of the 14 injured, nine were referred to Rewa for further treatment, where one of the seriously injured persons succumbed, Sidhi's Superintendent of Police (SP) Ravindra Verma told PTI.

The others were undergoing treated at the Sidhi district hospital.

The truck driver was detained, Tiwari said.

Verma said the SUV occupants were going to Maihar for 'mundan' (tonsuring) ceremony of a child when the accident occurred.

Prima facie, it seems the SUV was approaching from the wrong direction which led to the collision, he said.

A team led by an additional superintendent of police has been constituted which will conduct a probe into the accident from all angles, the SP said.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident.

"Instructions have been given to approve a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each from the chief minister's discretionary fund to the families of those who died in the road accident, Rs 1 lakh each to the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 each to other injured persons," the CM said in a statement.