At least 15 people were killed, and 33 others were injured after a truck loaded with paddy broke through police barricades and ploughed into devotees heading to the Sheetla Mata temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior early Sunday. The accident occurred around 1.30 am on the Chhinor road, where heavy vehicles are restricted because of a steep slope.
As per information available, the truck had been stopped on the road but broke through the barricades, lost control and hurtled down the slope before crashing into the temple’s outer wall and gate. Devotees walking along the road were crushed under the vehicle.
According to a senior police official in the city, all the injured people were hospitalised after the incident and among them, 15 people have died. Five to six injured persons are in critical condition with fractures, while the others sustained minor injuries and are receiving treatment. Two police personnel deployed at the spot were also injured.
WHAT THE POLICE AND ADMINISTRATION SAY
Describing the incident as tragic, senior police official Dharmveer Singh told ANI that many pilgrims were travelling to the Sheetla Mata temple when the truck lost control.
“This is a tragic incident where pilgrims were travelling to Sheetla Mata Temple in large numbers. The road coming from the Chhinor side has a steep slope where heavy traffic is restricted. Around 1.30 am, a truck loaded with paddy was stopped there. It broke through the police barricades, suddenly lost control, came down, and crashed into the outer wall and gate of the temple,” he said.
He added that devotees on the road were crushed under the truck, resulting in multiple casualties. He said the injured, including two police personnel, were undergoing treatment.
Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan said the administration received information about the accident at around 1.30 am and took swift measures to deal with the accident.
“Today, at around 1.30 am, information was received that a truck coming from the direction of Chhinor towards the temple lost control and veered continuously to the left. Immediately, news of the accident started coming in, and ambulances and other vehicles were dispatched,” she said.
The collector said the circumstances that allowed the truck to enter the restricted stretch would be investigated, as barricades and a police checkpoint had been installed for Navratri.
The administration has also sent a Regional Transport Office (RTO) team to examine the truck mechanically and determine what caused it to veer to the left. Chauhan said doctors were conducting CT scans and X-rays on the injured to assess their condition and ensure appropriate treatment.
EYEWITNESS RECOUNTS HORROR
An eyewitness described scenes of chaos after the truck suddenly entered the area, running over people and shops.
“This occurred at around 1 am. I saw some people die on the spot. The truck was overloaded; it came suddenly and ran over some shops and people,” the eyewitness said, speaking to ANI.
The witness added that his brother was also injured in the accident and that confusion and panic continued at the spot.
The exact circumstances behind the truck breaching the barricades, losing control and crashing into the temple premises remain under investigation. The mechanical inspection is expected to help establish whether a vehicle-related problem contributed to the accident.
PROTEST AT GWALIOR POST-MORTEM HOUSE, POLICE DEPLOY HEAVY FORCE
Tension prevailed at the post-mortem house in Gwalior after the bodies of those killed in the truck accident reached the facility.
Relatives of the victims created a ruckus, accusing the police and administration of negligence in connection with the accident.
As the situation turned tense, a large number of police personnel were deployed at the spot to maintain order. A dispute broke out at the post-mortem house as grieving family members raised questions over the handling of the incident.
PM MODI ANNOUNCES RS 2 LAKH EX-GRATIA FOR VICTIMS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each person killed in the Gwalior truck accident. The injured will receive Rs 50,000 each.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives, PM Modi said he was distressed by the incident and offered condolences to the bereaved families. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the accident.
