JABALPUR/BHOPAL: A tragic road accident claimed the lives of at least seven people and left several others injured when a truck collided with a traveller van on the Nagpur-Prayagraj National Highway near Jabalpur on Tuesday morning.

According to police reports, seven bodies have been recovered from the wreckage, while a few individuals are still feared trapped inside the mangled vehicle. Rescue operations are in full swing, with police and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) teams working at the site, Additional SP Suryakant Sharma confirmed.

The accident occurred around 9 AM near Bargi village, approximately 50 kilometers from Jabalpur district headquarters. The impact left the van severely damaged, with the vehicle getting stuck in the divider. Moments later, a car approaching from the opposite direction also crashed into the wrecked van, but its occupants escaped without fatal injuries.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the truck, heading towards Katni, was driving on the wrong side of the road. While attempting to overtake another vehicle, it crashed into the traveller van, leaving it completely wrecked.