According to officials, the pickup was carrying labourers who had travelled from Uttar Pradesh and were being dropped back to their homes when the vehicle lost control at a sharp bend and overturned on the hilly stretch. The impact was severe, killing four occupants on the spot.
The deceased have been identified as Sheelu (32), Amarpal Baiga (36), Lal Kumar (35) and Suraj Lal Baiga (31). Three of them were residents of Bagdeva village in Singrauli, while one hailed from the Jugail area of neighbouring Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh.
Three other labourers — Santosh Kumar, Amresh Kumar Patel and Nanhku Kewat — sustained serious injuries in the crash. Local villagers, alerted by the noise of the accident, rushed to the spot and helped rescue the injured from the overturned vehicle.
On receiving information, a police team led by Naudihwa police outpost in-charge Manoj Singh Chauhan reached the accident site. With the assistance of local residents, the injured were shifted to the Chitrangi Community Health Centre, where they are undergoing treatment. Doctors described their condition as critical.
Police said preliminary investigation suggests that overspeeding or loss of control on the narrow hill road may have caused the accident, though the exact reason will be determined after a detailed inquiry. A case has been registered, and the vehicle has been seized for inspection.
The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem. District administration officials said further action will be taken based on the investigation report.
