Vehicle ploughs into wedding procession, injures 22 in Chhattisgarh

At least 22 people were injured, nine of them grievously, after a vehicle carrying the groom rammed into his wedding procession in Chhattisgarh s Janjgir-Champa district, police said today.

The incident took place on Saturday night when relatives of the groom Milan Chandra, a resident of Chautala village, were proceeding for a wedding ritual, called chulmati , on the Dabhra-Kharsia road under Dabhra police station area, Janjgir-Champa Additional Superintendent of Police Pankaj Chandra said.

Dabhra is located around 75 kms away from Janjgir-Champa town, which itself is about 200 kms away from capital Raipur.

Police said that the driver of the sports utility vehicle lost control, pressed the accelerator instead of the brake, and ploughed into a crowd of people who were part of the procession.

The accident left at least 22 people, including women and children, injured, police said, adding that nine of them had been shifted to Raigarh district hospital in a serious condition.

A case had been registered under relevant sections of the IPC and a search was on for the driver who fled the scene, he added.