A horrific car-SUV collision in Gujarat's Surendranagar district has claimed the lives of eight people, including five women and two children. The tragic accident occurred on a highway near Dedadara village in Wadhwan taluka around 3:40 PM on Sunday.
According to police reports, the car, carrying the victims, collided with a speeding SUV, a Tata Harrier, before veering off the road and landing in a roadside ditch. The impact of the collision and subsequent fall caused the car to burst into flames, trapping all eight occupants inside.
Local witnesses were helpless as the car was quickly engulfed in fire. Fire brigade personnel arrived at the scene but struggled to extricate the bodies from the burnt shell of the vehicle. The deceased have been identified as five women, two girls aged 10 months and 13 years respectively, and the car's driver. The women were reported to be in the age group of 35-55 years.
Authorities have confirmed that three individuals traveling in the SUV sustained minor injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital. DIG of Surendranagar, Girish Pandya, stated that the front portion of the SUV was badly damaged due to the collision.
Following the accident, all eight bodies were taken to the Surendranagar government hospital for postmortem. The accident also caused a significant traffic jam on the highway. Local police, along with a 108 team, were quick to respond and initiate rescue operations.
