A man hacked to death eight members of his family with an axe in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district and later died by suicide, police said on Wednesday. 

The murders took place late Tuesday night in the tribal village of Bodal Kachhar, over 145 km away from Chhindwara district headquarters. Police said the man was suffering from mental illnesses.

At 2.30 am, when the family was sleeping, Dinesh Gond alias Bhura went on a rampage.

He attacked his mother Siyabai, 55, wife Varsha, 23, brother Shravan Kumar, 35, and Shravan’s wife Baratobai, 30. He then struck his 16-year-old sister Parvati, five-year-old nephew Krishna and nieces Sewnti (4) and Deepa (1) with the axe.

All eight of them died on the spot. He also attacked a 10-year-old neighbour who was rescued by his grandmother.

Hearing the victims’ screams, neighbours entered the house. Seeing them, Dinesh fled the scene.

Later, his body was found hanging from a tree, nearly 100 metres away from the house.

The reason behind the attack is not known. Police have reached the spot and begun an investigation.

According to the locals, Dinesh’s condition had worsened after his marriage.