7 killed as SUV collides with truck in Chhattisgarh

Seven people were killed and six injured when the sports utility vehicle (SUV) they were travelling in collided with a truck in Chhattisgarh's Balod district, police said on Monday.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has expressed grief over the incident and instructed the district administration to provide the best medical assistance to the injured.

The accident occurred under the Daundi police station area late on Sunday night when the victims, natives of the Gunderdehi area in the district, were returning from a function, they said.

"The vehicle collided head-on with the truck. Of the 13 occupants of the SUV, six died on the spot, while seven others suffered serious injuries," a police official here said.

The injured, including five women and a child, were shifted to a local community health centre, where they were referred to Rajnandgaon district hospital, the official said.

One of the injured persons died during treatment, he said.

The official said the deceased were identified as Durpat Prajapati (30), Yuvraj Sahu (30), the driver, four women, Sumitra Bai Kumbhkar (50), Manisha Kumbhkar (35), Sagun Bai Kumbhkar (50) and Imla Bai (55), and seven-year-old Jignesh Kumbhkar.

An accidental death report has been registered, and further investigation is under way, he said.

The chief minister condoled the deaths and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured.