Sambalpur, March 6: Four persons, including a seven-month-old girl, died after the car in which they were travelling rammed into a tree at Pipalmunda in the Bhatli police limits, around 65kms from here, around 9:30am today.

Two were injured in the accident.

Police identified the deceased as Seema Jain, 36, Kanha Jain, 5, Kunti Behera, 50 and the seven-month-old Paree. The injured persons have been identified as Hemant Jain, 40, and his cousin Priyanka Jain.

The accident took place when Hemant, who hails from Rengali camp, was driving the car to Shyam Baba temple at Bhatli to celebrate Holi with his family. However, the vehicle hit a tree along the road at Pipalmunda village, resulting in the immediate death of the three persons.

Hemant's wife Seema, his son Kanha and their maid Kunti died on the spot. Hemant, his daughter Paree and his sister Priyanka suffered grievous injury in the accident. Local people informed the police about the incident. The police rescued the persons trapped in the vehicle.

Hemant and Paree were taken to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Burla. The police shifted Priyanka to district headquarters hospital at Bargarh.

Paree died on the way, while Hemant's condition was still critical.

"Hemant runs a hardware store at Rengali camp. He had gone to Bargarh with his family yesterday. They stayed in a relative's house there and set out for Shaym Baba temple this morning. However, the accident took place on the way," said Rengali camp resident Rabi Narayana Panda.

"We, the villagers, stopped celebrating Holi after we had got to know about the accident," said Panda.

On February 24, seven members of a marriage party, including the bride and the groom, died after their car had collided with a dumper near the fertiliser township in Rourkela.