Nine persons, including six girls, were killed and seven others sustained injuries when a tempo collided with a truck on Katni-Shahdol National Highway near here, police said today.
The mishap took place last night when members of a Yadav family were returning to Nanwarakala village in a tempo from Katni after attending a programme, ASP Rameshwar Yadav said.
A total of 16 persons were travelling in the tempo when the accident took place.
The deceased persons were identified as Sunil Yadav, Ranjeet Yadav, Mahesh Yadav, Usha Yadav, and minors Parsora, Megha, Anjali, Bandini and Ritu, he said.
The injured persons were admitted to the district hospital, he said.
The district administration has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 each to the kin of deceased persons and Rs 5,000 each to the injured.
The truck driver was yet to be nabbed, police said, adding further investigations are on.
Enraged over the accident, locals staged a protest at the mishap site.
