Palamu (Jharkhand), Jun 22 (IANS): Presence of mind on part of villagers helped save the lives of a newly-wed couple and four others after the car they were travelling in to the grooms village fell off a bridge into the swollen Malay river in Palamu district, police said on Monday.

Police said the incident occurred near Khamdih village in Satbarwa block on Saturday evening. Apart from the car driver, three children were among the rescued.

As a group of villagers jumped into the waters, others tied the car with ropes in order to pull it the partially submerged car back to the river bank. The car had floated downstream for half a km before villagers could rescue its occupants near Navatoli village.

The rescue efforts went on for around an hours from 6.30 pm, police added.

Police identified the groom as Vijay Singh of Rajhara village in Leslieganj police station area and his bride as Khusboo of Mile Matlong village in Latehar district.

Vijay praised the efforts of the villagers in rescuing them in the nick of time. Villagers