Key Points

The incident occurred in the Nohata police station area around 10:15 a.m. when the driver of a vehicle carrying 15 passengers lost control of it near the Sunar River bridge near Simri village and fell off the bridge onto a dry riverbed.

According to police officials, the vehicle occupants were residents of Jabalpur district.

Among the deceased were five sisters from the same family, along with a niece and a grandson.

Investigating officer Arvind Singh told IANS that six occupants of the vehicle died on the spot, while two children, aged eight and ten, succumbed to their injuries at Damoh District Hospital.

The remaining injured passengers were treated at Damoh before being transported to Jabalpur Medical College through a specially arranged green corridor to ensure swift medical care.

"Post-mortem examinations of the bodies have been performed at Jabera hospital, and bodies have been handed over to the police," said the official.

Authorities reported that the victims were returning home after visiting a local "vaidya" for herbal medicine to treat certain ailments.

However, police sources suggest they may have also visited a site dedicated to a local deity, raising questions about the family's reason for travelling together in such large numbers. This accident was part of a series of road tragedies, as three separate crashes occurred across Madhya Pradesh on Monday, claiming a total of ten lives.

On Monday, six members of a family died on the spot, and three others were injured on the Jabalpur-Raisen road.

They were coming after participating in a marriage. Officials continue their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Damoh incident.

- IANS