A speeding truck ran over pedestrians near a roadside market in Jharkhand's Khunti district, killing seven people, including three children.
The driver lost control of the vehicle on the highway before crashing into a tree.
Police secured the driver into custody and rushed the injured to Khunti Sadar Hospital.
Seven people, three of whom were children, died when an 18-wheel truck ran over them while taking a sharp bend in darkness in Jharkhand's Khunti district, police said on Friday.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed grief over the incident and paid condolences to the bereaved families.
Khunti Superintendent of Police (SP) Rishabh Garg said a few people rushed to the Karra-Torpa main road on Thursday night to rescue a scooter rider who fell into a ditch, and several women and children gathered to watch the incident unfold.
"In the meantime, an 18-wheel truck from Torpa ran over them while taking a sharp turn. The driver might not have seen the crowd due to darkness," the officer said.
"Seven people died, and one was injured," he told PTI, adding that six died on the spot and one during treatment. Of the deceased, three were women, as many children and one man, the SP added.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren took to X to say, "The heartbreaking news of seven people losing their lives in a road accident in Karra, Khunti, has deeply saddened me. My deepest condolences go out to all the grieving families who have lost their loved ones in this accident. May Marang Buru grant peace to the souls of the departed and give their grieving families the strength to bear this sorrow."
