Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has expressed deep grief over the death of eight Odia tourists in a road accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Agar Malwa district and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of each of the deceased person.
Majhi announced the assistance after returning from Delhi, where he had attended SEMICON 2026,. Speaking to media, he said the state government was in contact with the Madhya Pradesh government and local authorities to facilitate the return of the mortal remains to Odisha.
The eight tourists died after the car carrying them plunged into a rain-swollen drain near the Bagulamukhi Temple in Nalkheda town of Agar Malwa district early Saturday. The accident occurred after the vehicle entered the drain, which was filled with overflowing rainwater.
According to the earlier official account, the deceased included three children, two women and three men. Nalkheda police personnel carried out rescue operations and recovered the bodies, which were sent for post-mortem examination. A case has also been registered in connection with the accident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each deceased person. An assistance of Rs 50,000 was also announced for those injured in the accident.
Following the accident, Majhi had directed Odisha government officials to coordinate with their Madhya Pradesh counterparts and the local administration to expedite necessary procedures and ensure that the mortal remains were brought back to the state with dignity.
Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg also expressed condolences and spoke with the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary and the state’s Odia Language, Literature and Culture Secretary regarding the incident. She directed officials to maintain continuous coordination with the Madhya Pradesh authorities and monitor the rescue and follow-up arrangements.
