Betul, Madhya Pradesh: The official said two occupants escaped with minor injuries (Representational)

A 45-year-old private bank manager was killed on Monday while driving his car on a highway in Madhya Pradesh when a stone which flew by a blast carried out at a nearby mine, pierced the roof of his vehicle and landed on his head, police said.

The incident occurred around 1 pm on Betul-Nagpur four-lane road near Pankha Jod, about 20 km away from the Betul district headquarter, said a top police official.

The dead person, identified as Ashok Pawar, a manager with IndusInd Bank, was on his way to Multai town when the stone landed on his car's roof, he said.

"The stone pierced the roof of the car and hit Pawar's head, killing him on the spot," the police officer said. The impact of the strike was such that it crushed Mr Pawar's face.

He was a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad.

The official said two other occupants of the car escaped with minor injuries.

"One of the occupants, identified as Jitendra, took control of the wheel soon after the incident, and somehow managed to stop the car roadside," the official said.

Betul district collector Tejasvi Nayak has ordered a Sub-Divisional Magistrate(SDM)-level inquiry. The stone crusher has been sealed.

The SDM will probe why the blast was being carried out at that time of the day.

"The probe will also find out whether adequate security measures were in place at the stone mine in view of its proximity to the four-lane highway," Mr Nayak said.