Kawardha (Chhattisgarh) : At least 19 Baiga tribals, who were returning after plucking tendu leaves, died in a road accident which took place in Kawardha at around 2.30 pm on Monday afternoon. Three others were badly injured. All of them were returning from the forest when the ghastly accident took place. The impact of the accident was very so severe that 13 of the victims died on the spot. About 18 out of the total 19 deceased were women and one man.
While returning with the tribals, the pickup vehicle went out of control and overturned, falling into a 20 feet pit. There were about 35 to 40 people in the ill-fated vehicle. All these people were residents of Semhara village. This accident took place near Bahpani village of Kukdur police station area of Kawardha. Those travelling in the vehicle belong to Semhara village.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai expressed grief over the death toll in the accident. In a post in Hindi on X, he said (roughly translated to), "Sad news is being received about the death of 18 villagers and injury of 4 due to the overturning of a pickup near Bahpani village under Kukdur police station area of Kabirdham district. Necessary instructions for better treatment of the injured have been given to the district administration. I pray to God for peace to the departed souls and express my deepest condolences to their families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured."
CM Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50 thousand to the injured.
Meanwhile, Vijay Sharma, Deputy CM, Chhattisgarh, said, "It is a very sad incident. I express my condolences to the families of the victims. An investigation will be conducted into the matter. The investigation will reveal whether the driver is at fault or there is some other reason for the accident."
There were heartrending scenes at the spot after the incident. Local people informed the police about the incident. With the help of the police team and local people, the injured people were taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, the bodies of the injured have been sent for post-mortem. Information was passed on to the family members and relatives of the victims.
"A total of 25 people were traveling in the pickup vehicle. A total of 19 people have died in this accident. 13 people died on the spot. While five injured people died during treatment. Among the dead, there were 18 women and one man", said Abhishek Pallav, SP, Kawardha.
The ill-fated tribals were returning after plucking tendu leaves, which are known for their anti-microbial properties. Many tribals living in the forest villages collect tendu leaves and earn their living by selling them in the local market.
Earlier, a serious road accident had happened in Kumhari police station area of Durg on 9th April. The bus carrying employees from Kedia Company in Kumhari police station area went out of control and overturned, falling into a 25 feet deep ditch. Over 13 people died in this accident while 17 people were injured.
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