Bhopal, Nov 26 : In a tragic road accident on early Tuesday morning, four members of a family lost their lives after their car collided with a divider and plunged 20 feet off a bridge in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh, police said.

According to police, the accident occurred on a national highway when the speeding vehicle struck the divider on the bridge and fell into a deep pit. All four occupants of the car were killed on the spot.

Passersby who witnessed the incident rushed to the scene, soon joined by the local residents. The impact of the crash left the front portion of the vehicle mangled, trapping the bodies inside. Bodies could be retrieved only after police cut through the vehicle's crushed glass and metal.

According to Maihar police, "A car traveling from Katni towards Maihar, lost control near the Ghusru River. The vehicle first struck the road divider and then plunged into a pit below the roadway. Tragically, all four occupants of the car lost their lives. The front portion of the car was destroyed. Upon receiving information from bystanders, officers from the Maihar police station arrived at the scene, broke the car's windows to retrieve the bodies, and transported them to Maihar Civil Hospital for postmortem examination."

Police identified the deceased as Arvind Singh (47), Sukhvidhan Singh (45), Damodar Singh (44), and Shivraj Singh (34). All belonged to the same family from Devendra Nagar in Panna district.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the accident was caused by over speeding. The family was returning to Panna after attending a wedding function in Katni when the tragedy took place.

The police informed the family members in Panna and sent the bodies for postmortem examination.

Further investigations are underway to determine the exact cause of the accident.

/IANS