Jabalpur: A tragic road accident in the Chargawan area of Jabalpur claimed the lives of four men on Thursday when a Scorpio SUV carrying six people veered off a bridge and plunged into the Somvati river. While two of the occupants sustained serious injuries, an unexpected survivor stunned everyone, a goat that was travelling in the vehicle escaped the crash.

The group was returning from the Dulha Dev Maharaj temple in Narsinghpur district, where they had performed a symbolic goat sacrifice, a ritual in which only the ear of the animal is cut without ending its life. The men were en route from Gotegaon to Jabalpur when their vehicle lost control near Chargawan and fell from the bridge into the river below.

Bargi City Superintendent of Police Anjul Mishra told PTI. "The speeding SUV broke the railing and fell from the bridge onto the dry bed of Somvati river. Six members of the Patel family were travelling in the sports utility vehicle. They had gone to visit Dada Darbar in Narsinghpur and were returning to Jabalpur," Mishra said. "Kishan Patel (35), Mahendra Patel (35), Sagar Patel (17) and Rajendra Patel (36) died on the spot. Jitendra Patel and Manoj Patel have sustained serious injuries and were admitted to government medical college and hospital. 

"The rooster they were carrying died, while the goat in the vehicle, whose ear had been severed during the ritual, survived," the official informed.

Eyewitness alleges drunk driving: 

Locals who witnessed the crash acted swiftly, rushing to the site to help the victims. They shared that the vehicle lost balance and went straight off the edge. Emergency services were called in immediately, and authorities had to cut open the doors of the mangled vehicle to retrieve the victims.

Eyewitnesses told police and reporters that the men appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.

Only the goat that had accompanied the group for the symbolic sacrifice ritual walked away from the crash unscathed. Locals and first responders expressed astonishment at the animal’s survival despite the severity of the crash.

A case has been registered and a probe is underway, said Chargawan Police Station House Officer Abhishek Pyasi.
(with PTI inputs)