In a shocking tragedy, four national hockey players today were killed in a road accident in Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad district. Three others have been severely injured. They were to play a Dhyan Chand trophy match soon.

Shahnawaz Hussain, Adarsh Hardua, Ashish Lal and Aniket Varun are the deceased ones. The accident happened on National Highway No. 69. "The players were travelling by car. A vehicle was approaching theirs from the opposite direction. The driver tried to divert and, in the process, lost control. The car hit a tree and overturned," a report says.

Kamal Nath, the Madhya Pradesh CM, has assured that any help will be extended to the bereaved families and to the players who are undergoing treatment.

Former Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said, "The death of our 4 national hockey players in a car accident in Hoshangabad near Risalpur Village is a tragic loss to their families and the nation. My deepest sympathies are with the families of those who died and prayers to recover soon for those who got injured."