Three women and a minor girl were killed when an auto-rickshaw they were travelling in collided with a pick-up van in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on Saturday, police said.
Three others were seriously injured in the accident near the Chamiya-Deoda village when the auto-rickshaw, with seven people, was headed to a weekly market in Deoda village, Bastar Superintendent of Police Jitendra Singh Meena said.
The driver of the pick-up vehicle escaped from the spot, he said.
Two women who died instantly were identified as Sani Bai Kashyap (60) and Mati Bai Kashyap (50). Phoolmati Maurya (22) and Janki Kashyap (15) succumbed to their injuries.
Three others, including two women and the auto-rickshaw driver, were shifted to the government medical college hospital in Dimrapal. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed grief over the accident and directed the district administration to ensure proper treatment to the injured persons, an official statement said.The district administration announced a compensation of Rs 25,000 each to the kin of the deceased, it said.