Madhya Pradesh: 8 killed after car swept away in drain near Nalkheda temple

Eight people, including seven members of an Odisha family and a taxi driver, died after their car was swept away in an overflowing drain near Maa Baglamukhi temple in MP.

Published on: Sep 19, 2026, 13:20:03 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

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Eight people, including seven members of a family from Odisha and a taxi driver, were killed after their car was swept away in an overflowing drain near the Maa Baglamukhi Temple in Nalkheda, Madhya Pradesh’s Agar Malwa district, police said.

Eight devotees were killed after their car was swept away in an overflowing drain near Maa Baglamukhi temple in Nalkheda, Agar Malwa, Madhya Pradesh.

The victims included two women, two men and three children, all found trapped inside the submerged vehicle. Police are working to confirm their identities.

Agar Malwa superintendent of police (SP) Dileep Soni said the family had travelled to Ujjain and hired a taxi to visit Nalkheda. “The car carrying devotees was swept away in the overflowing drain near the temple,” he said.

Rescue teams rushed to the site after receiving information. The vehicle was pulled out of the drain, but all eight passengers were declared dead on arrival by doctors.

District collector Sher Singh Meena said that the area had recorded 3.7 inches, or 37 mm, of rainfall in the past 24 hours, causing the drain in front of the temple to swell dangerously. To be sure, 37 mm is not considered extreme rainfall, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) definition.

Locals staged a protest after the incident, demanding proper development of the area, including a bridge to cross the drain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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