2 dead, over dozen injured as SUV rams into Durga immersion procession in MP’s Panna; driver held

Two men were killed and more than a dozen others injured after a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) ploughed into a Durga idol immersion procession in Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Friday.

The accident took place on Thursday around 8.30 pm in Pawai area of Panna, following which the SUV driver was arrested, they said.

Katni District Hospital’s civil surgeon Dr Yashwant Verma said, “Fourteen persons, who suffered injuries in the accident, were brought to the hospital, where two of them died during treatment.”

The two deceased were identified as Rakesh Patel (36) and Purushottam Patel (38), he said, adding that several of the injured were children.

Superintendent of Police Nivedita Naidu said that the SUV driver was later arrested and a probe was launched into the accident.

After the accident, the injured were rushed to Katni district hospital from Pawai, located 70 km from the Panna district headquarters, as it was close and has better health care facilities, according to the officials.