Twenty-nine people were killed and 40 injured when a truck fell from a bridge into a drain at Piparia near Hoshangabad on Wednesday, police said.
Among those killed were nine women and 10 children, police said.
The truck was carrying labourers to Bankhedi when its driver lost control, plunging the vehicle into the drain early on Wedneday morning, Superintendent of Police Ved Prakash Sharma told PTI.
The injured were rushed to different hospitals, he said adding, 10 critically injured were referred to a hospital in Bhopal.
A case was registered at Piparia police station against seven persons, including the truck driver and the labour contractor, he added.