MP: Four of Gujarat musical troupe killed, 11 injured in Shivpuri road accident

Shivpuri: Four people died and 11 others were injured in a tragic road accident in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday morning. All were members of a Gujarat-based music group returning from Varanasi after performing at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

The accident occurred on National Highway-27, under the jurisdiction of Survaya police station, when their Traveller van collided head-on with a loaded truck coming from the opposite direction.

Speaking to IANS, Arvind Chari, Survaya police station incharge said, “All the victims hailed from Mehsana and Surendranagar districts of Gujarat.”

The officer added that one person died on the spot while three others succumbed to their injuries at the hospital.

As many as 11 others were injured, including one of the drivers, whose condition is stated to be critical.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the van driver may have dozed off at the wheel, having reportedly left Varanasi at around 5 A.M. without rest.

The accident took place at around 6:30 A.M., nearly 30 kilometres from the district headquarters. The driver lost control of the vehicle, which hit the central divider and veered into the opposite lane before crashing into an oncoming truck with tremendous force.

The impact was so severe that several passengers were thrown from their seats, the officer said.

A total of 17 people were travelling in the van at the time of the accident. The deceased have been identified as Hardik Dave (40), the lead singer of the group; Raja Thakur (28); Ankit Thakur (22); and Rajpal Solanki (60).

The music troupe used to tour for devotional performances across northern India.

The injured, including Mohit Rawal, Ashish Vyas, Narendra Nayak, Chetan Kumar, Harshad Goswami, Mohlik, Rishikesh, Arvind and others were rushed to a government hospital in Shivpuri.

As news of the accident spread, family members were informed and administrative officials arrived at the hospital to oversee medical care and offer support.

Police have launched a formal investigation into the cause of the crash.

–IANS