HOSHANGABAD, MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA. (THECOUNT) — Four players from Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy were killed and 3 others seriously injured in a tragic road accident in India on Monday morning, according to reports.

The horror crash occurred near Biaora village between Hoshangabad and Itarsi on the National Highway 69.

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Those killed were identified as, Shahnawaz Hussain (Indore), Adarsh Hardua (Itarsi), Ashish Lal (Jabalpur) and Aniket Varun (Gwalior).

Those injured are: Shaan Gladwin (Itarsi), Sahil Chaure (Itarsi) and Akshay Awasthi (Gwalior).

The players were traveling from Itarsi and were on their was to Hoshangabad to play the semi-final match of Dhyan Chand Hockey tournament in Hoshangabad, scheduled for Monday.

After winning the quarter final on Sunday, the players went to Itarsi to celebrate the birthday of teammate Hardua.

On the way back, their car hit a tree near the Shaheed Vijay memorial in Biaora. The impact was such that four players died on the spot and three others were injured and were admitted to a hospital, said the rural police station in charge, Ashish Panwar, reports CanIndia.

All the players who died in the mishap had displayed immense promise at the national level championships in recent times.

Higher education and Sports Minister Jitu Patwari, including Chief Minister Kamal Nath have assured the families of the deceased and injured players of all possible help.

Organisers cancelled the tournament.

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Geo quick facts: Madhya Pradesh, a large state in central India, retains landmarks from eras throughout Indian history. Begun in the 10th century, its Hindu and Jain temples at Khajuraho are renowned for their carvings of erotic scenes, most prominently Kandariya Mahadeva, a temple with more than 800 sculptures. The eastern Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks, noted Bengal tiger sanctuaries, offer guided safaris. India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world – Wikipedia.