7 of family among 8 killed after car swept into rain-swollen drain in Madhya Pradesh

The vehicle was carrying the group from Ujjain to Nalkheda’s Maa Baglamukhi Temple when it was swept away by overflowing rainwater.

Eight people, including seven members of a family from Odisha, were killed after the car they were travelling in from Ujjain to Nalkheda fell into a drain overflowing with rainwater on Saturday in Madhya Pradesh’s Agar Malwa district, police said.

Rescue teams recovered the submerged vehicle after nearly four hours. (PTI)

Agar Malwa superintendent of police Dileep Soni said the family was travelling in a taxi which they hired to visit the Maa Baglamukhi Temple in Nalkheda, when the car swept away at around 3 pm in the drain overflowing with rainwater near the temple.

Eight occupants found trapped inside vehicle

The victims included two women, two men, and three children — identified as Radha Rani Behera, Gyanendra Kumar Behera, his wife Ritarani, V Sai Behera, Shivprasad Behera and his son Krishna Rajveer Behera— along with driver Arun Goyal, all found trapped inside the submerged vehicle.

“The car carrying devotees drifted for about 100 metres by the overflowing water on the road and fell into the drain near the temple,” Soni said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives and announced an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh for the kin of those killed.

“The mishap in Agar Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, is extremely painful. I extend my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones,” Prime Minister’s Office cited Modi as saying on X.

“The vehicle was pulled out of the drain after four hours and all eight passengers were taken to the hospital where they were declared brought dead,” Soni said.

District collector Sher Singh Meena said that the area had recorded 37 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, causing the drain in front of the temple to swell. To be sure, 37 is not considered extreme rainfall, as per IMD.