Car plunges into pond after hitting auto; 2 dead:2 survivors swim to safety in Katni, rescue team retrieves vehicle from water

A car fell into Lakshman Sagar pond in Katni late on Saturday night. Four youths were travelling in the vehicle. Two of them managed to swim out and survive. Sadly, the other two, including a BJP leader, drowned and died inside the car. Accident details The accident occurred in Bilhari around 11:30 PM. Prashant Nayak (28), an office bearer in BJP’s youth wing, his friends Vikas Tiwari (26), Abhishek Chaurasia (26), and Aman Tamrakar (26) were returning home from Katni. The car was moving at high speed. The driver lost control. The car first hit a parked auto-rickshaw and then plunged into Lakshman Sagar pond. Trapped in the car Prashant Nayak and Vikas Tiwari were trapped inside the car. They drowned before help could reach them. Abhishek Chaurasia and Aman Tamrakar managed to escape by swimming. They immediately informed the police and local residents about the accident. Pictures after the accident – Rescue operation The Bilhari police outpost in-charge, Suyash Pandey, reached the spot with his team. Locals also gathered to assist the rescue operation. A crane was used to pull the car out of the pond. The two bodies inside the vehicle were recovered. Post-mortem and investigation The police conducted an inquest and sent the bodies for post-mortem. A case of accidental death has been registered. Investigations are ongoing. Local response Neighbours and passersby helped the police in the dark. The rescue team praised the local residents for their cooperation. ​