In a shocking incident, Nine people, including eight members of a dance and music group, were killed after a heavy container vehicle crushed an SUV on GT Road (NH-19) near Devkali village under Mohania police station limits of Kaimur district on Sunday night. The eight dancers and musicians of Buxar-based Bhojpuri singer Chhotu Pandey’s group were going for a performance at a village near Durgawati, the police said. As their SUV reached Devkali village on the national highway, a bike suddenly swerved in from a blind turning.
The SUV driver took evasive actions, but lost control over the vehicle and jumped on to the opposite lane of the NH, coming in the way of the container vehicle. The driver, all seven passengers in the SUV, and the biker were killed on the spot.District magistrate Sawan Kumar and SP Lalit Mohan Sharma rushed to the place with a medical team. The police and the NHAI rescue team dragged the mutilated bodies out of the badly mangled SUV. The deceased also includes budding Bhojpuri singer Chhotu Pandey. The young singer had just started making a name for himself in the Bhojpuri industry. Chhotu Pandey's sudden demise has sent shockwaves across the Bhojpuri industry. He is also said to have worked in a Bhojpuri film. The young singer hailed from Bihar's Buxar district. He is survived by his father and four brothers.