Three members of a Metiabruz family died in a car accident on their way to Digha on Thursday.

Police said the Tata Sumo — carrying nine holidayers, all relatives — lost control after its front left tyre flattened and plunged into a roadside pond at Marichda in Contai around 10.30am.

The passengers were taken to Contai hospital where Jasmina Khatun, 29, Hasanur Jasmin, 20, and Afrid Hussain,10, were declared dead on arrival.

Anwara Begum, 58, who suffered serious head injuries, was shifted to Calcutta Medical Research Institute. The others were released after treatment.

Jasmina’s brother Shahid Ali, who owns the car and was at the wheels, suffered head and hand injuries.

“Afrid died of head injuries. The others apparently did not suffer any external injury. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem,” said Bastab Baidya, the superintendent of East Midnapore police.

Afrid studied in Class IV in an English-medium school in Metiabruz, while his cousin Hasanur looked after their family business. Their aunt Jasmina was a homemaker.

Family sources said the group had planned to spend a couple of days at Digha.

Jasmina’s brother Jabid Ali, who rushed to Contai after being informed by the police about the mishap, said: “Afrid was sitting on the front seat. I heard that the car was travelling at a high speed down the highway when the front left tyre burst. Shahid tried to slam the brakes but lost control of the car, which swerved to the right and hurtled into the pond.”

The police said villagers and people from a gram panchayat office nearby rescued the passengers. A crane later pulled out the car.