Guna, April 4 – A road accident on National Highway-46 in the Guna district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday resulted in the death of an elderly woman and left five other members of her family seriously injured when their car plunged into a 40-foot-deep gorge after hitting a barrier, officials said.
The family, originally from a village with ancestral roots, was returning from a pilgrimage to the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain and Omkareshwar.
They had worshipped at both Jyotirlingas and were heading to Gwalior to attend a religious "Kirtan" organized by a relative, with plans to return home on Sunday.
The tragic incident occurred when the car suddenly lost control, hit the highway barrier, and plunged into the deep gorge.
Anita Agarwal, an elderly woman in the family, died instantly.
The other five occupants sustained severe injuries.
One of the survivors, Lokesh Dwivedi, who was travelling with his family, told police that his brother was driving the car.
Suddenly, the vehicle went out of control, hit the barrier, and plunged straight into the gorge. As a result, everything went dark before his eyes for a few moments.
"Before I could understand what was happening, the car had overturned," Dwivedi told the police.
The injured individuals have been identified as Gopal Agarwal, Girdhar Agarwal, Shivanya Agarwal (a young girl), Krishivi Agarwal, and Lokesh Dwivedi.
Local residents and police rushed to the scene and helped rescue the victims, who were immediately taken to the District Hospital in Guna for emergency treatment. They are currently receiving medical care.
Upon receiving information about the accident, the Guna police reached the site and launched rescue and investigation operations.
A case of accidental death has been registered, and further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the crash.
The police have also informed the family members about the incident.
The accident has sent shockwaves through the local community, especially as the victims were returning from a holy pilgrimage.