Hyderabad, Oct 16 (IANS): Seven members of a family were killed when a car in which they were travelling fell in a canal in Telangana's Medak district on Wednesday evening, police said.

The accident occurred at Usirikapalle village in Shivampet mandal.

According to police, the car plunged into the canal after hitting the culvert. Seven persons, including four women and two girls, drowned.

The person driving the car sustained critical injuries and was admitted to a hospital.

The car apparently rammed into the culvert as the driver lost control of the vehicle after it hit the potholes on the highway. The deceased were returning home after worship at Muthyalamma temple at Toopran.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had expressed his grief over the death of seven people in the accident. He spoke to officials and enquired about the accident. He said it was tragic that seven persons of one family lost their lives. He conveyed his condolences to the family of the deceased. Revanth Reddy also directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.

Voicing concern over the increasing number of road accidents, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said last week that on average, 20 people die in road accidents in the state every day. He stated that 1,60,000 people die in road accidents in India every year. "An average of 20 people lose their lives in road accidents in Telangana every day. It’s our responsibility to take precautions for our own safety,” he said while appealing, in a video message, to people to take a pledge this Dussehra to follow traffic rules.