Raisen/Sagar, Nov 16 (IANS) In a road mishap, at least 25 people reportedly sustained injuries, seven of them critically, after a speeding car rammed into a crowded tractor-trolley on the Sultanpur-Begamganj road near a cooking gas agency in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district on Saturday evening.

According to police sources, around 40 villagers, mostly from nearby areas, were returning home in the tractor-trolley after visiting a famed “miraculous well” in Nonia village near Banda town.

The well, believed to have healing properties, attracts devotees seeking remedies for ailments, especially during auspicious periods.

The collision occurred at around 7:30 p.m. suddenly when the high-speed car slammed into the rear of the trolley.

The impact was so severe that several passengers were thrown off the vehicle, scattering across the road.

Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes as injured victims lay writhing in pain amid shattered debris, police officials said.

Quick-thinking passersby and local residents rushed to the spot, assisting police in arranging immediate transportation for the injured to nearby hospitals.

One critically injured individual, identified as Gendalal Ahirwar, was referred to Bundelkhand Medical College in Sagar for advanced treatment due to life-threatening injuries.

Shockingly, the three occupants of the car fled the spot immediately after the accident, abandoning the vehicle which veered off the road and crashed into a nearby field.

Police have seized the damaged car and launched a manhunt to trace the absconding driver.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for rash driving and causing hurt by negligence.

This incident highlights the persistent dangers of overloading tractor-trolleys for passenger transport, a common but illegal practice in rural Madhya Pradesh.

Similar accidents involving pilgrimages or community outings have claimed lives in the state recently, prompting calls for stricter enforcement of traffic norms.

The miraculous well visit, meant to bring hope, tragically ended in heartbreak for these villagers.

–IANS

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