5 returning from birthday party killed as SUV crashes into truck in MP's Maihar

Maihar (MP), Jul 7 (PTI) Five members of a family were killed and one person was seriously injured when their speeding Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) rammed into a truck in Madhya Pradesh's Maihar district in the wee hours of Tuesday, police said. The accident occurred near Rigra village on National Highway no. 30 in the Dehat police station area at around 1 am when the victims were returning to Maihar after attending a birthday celebration. The SUV hit the moving truck from behind. The impact of the collision was so severe that the SUV was completely damaged, and the six victims inside were trapped in it. Five of them died on the spot, while one was seriously injured, Dehat Police Station in-charge Panchraj Singh said. The seriously injured person was initially taken to Amarpatan Civil Hospital. His condition worsened after being administered first aid, and he was referred to Satna District Hospital, the official said. The deceased have been identified as Ankur Patel (40), Mradul Patel (32), Vijay Patel (30), Harishankar Patel (25) and Shiva Patel (23), police said. The victims were relatives of local Congress leader Manish Patel, as per sources. PTI COR MAS GK