Three people, including a woman, have died in the incident, police said. (Representational)
At least three people were killed and nine others seriously injured after a car ploughed into a group of people returning home from a cultural programme in Jharkhand's Palamu district, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Baraon village on Daltonganj-Garhwa road in Chainpur police station area, around 175 km from state capital Ranchi, on Monday midnight, a police officer said.
They were returning to their homes after attending a cultural programme organised in the village on the occasion of the last Monday of the holy month of Shravan, he said.
Additional Superintendent of Police Rishav Garg said, "Three people, including a woman, have died in the incident and six others are seriously injured. They are being treated at Medinirai Medical College and Hospital. The driver has fled with the car after the incident and a manhunt has been launched to nab him." According to eyewitnesses, the car was new and the driver was in a drunken state, Mr Garg said, adding the vehicle was coming from the direction of Garhwa.
The victims were identified as Udal Chaurasia, 34, Rohit Chaurasia, 45 and Madhu Mehta, 30, he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed the police to take stringent action against the culprits and inform the Chief Minister secretariat.
"Received the sad news of death of three people and injuries to others after being hit by a speeding car near Baraon in Chainpur area of Palamu. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved family members to bear this hour of grief," Hemant Soren wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"The district administration is providing treatment to the injured. I wish speedy recovery to those injured in the accident. @policepalamu inform by taking strict action against the culprits," he added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)