At least 15 people, including six children, were killed and 27 injured after a truck ploughed into a group of devotees outside a temple in the Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh in the early hours of Sunday, officials aware of the matter said.
Hundreds of people had gathered at the Shitala Mata Temple to mark Saptami, the seventh day of Navratri, when the driver of a paddy-laden truck lost control on a slope, around 50 metres from the temple. The vehicle then hurtled towards the temple, running over devotees, ramming into shops and crashing into the shrine, bringing down part of its wall and trapping people under the debris, they added.
“Due to a large crowd, entry of heavy vehicles near the temple is restricted. Around 1.30am, two trucks laden with paddy coming from the Chinor [village] side were stopped by police at a barricade. The driver of one of the trucks lost control on the slope and ploughed into roadside stalls and devotees,” Gwalior superintendent of police Dharamveer Yadav said.
The driver of the truck, Delhi resident Dilbag Singh, fled the spot and was arrested from Dholpur in Rajasthan later in the day. Harpreet Singh, the owner of the Punjab-registered truck, was held from Ludhiana. The vehicle was carrying paddy from a market in Dabra, around 40km from Gwalior, to Punjab.
{{/usCountry}}The driver of the truck, Delhi resident Dilbag Singh, fled the spot and was arrested from Dholpur in Rajasthan later in the day. Harpreet Singh, the owner of the Punjab-registered truck, was held from Ludhiana. The vehicle was carrying paddy from a market in Dabra, around 40km from Gwalior, to Punjab.
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“The driver said he lost control due to brake failure. Now forensic experts are examining whether it was mechanical failure or negligence,” the SP said. Police were investigating if the truck had the requisite permits.
The deceased included three members of one family and people from across age groups, the oldest being 50 years old and the youngest 13. “Twelve people died on the spot and three died of injuries at the hospital,” said Gwalior collector Ruchika Chauhan.
Located about 20km from the district headquarters, the 125-year-old shrine attracts thousands of devotees during Navratri, many of whom walk barefoot to offer prayers. Its approach road includes a steep slope. The incident raised questions over how a heavy commercial vehicle managed to reach close to the temple, since authorities are required to restrict vehicle movement in its vicinity during the festival.
“Our immediate focus for the next 24 hours is stabilising the injured. None of the guilty will be spared. There must be an investigation into how the truck managed to reach Gwalior,” Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who visited the injured at a hospital, said.
Witnesses blamed inadequate police preparation for the incident. “There was no police to stop the truck at night… There was nobody to check the entry of heavy vehicles near the temple premises, and that’s why this accident happened,” Ajay Kumar, a shopkeeper, said.
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Kiran Parihar, whose 19-year-old son Gaurav Parihar was among the deceased, held authorities responsible for the incident. “Where was police security when an out-of-control truck overturned onto my son at midnight? Even after the accident, no help came,” she said.
The families of the victims said that some of the bodies remained trapped under the overturned vehicle for hours, and they had to arrange for a crane to remove the vehicle. “I saw my relatives under the truck. I asked the police for help, but nobody had any answer about when they would remove the truck and rescue them. We hired a crane to take out my brother and sister. Only around 4 AM did the crane reach and bring out the bodies. The police did nothing till 4am,” he said.
Chief minister Mohan Yadav ordered a probe into the incident, along with the removal of nine police personnel. “Taking the negligence in the incident near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior seriously, instructions have been issued to immediately remove the CSP [city superintendent of police] from his post and suspend three station house officers, one traffic inspector, one head constable, and three constables, along with ordering a detailed investigation into the incident,” he said in a post on X.
The witnesses said panic and confusion gripped the area soon after the incident. The road near the temple was on a slope, and the truck came speeding down it. Nobody could understand what had happened. We realised the severity only when we heard people screaming,” Saurabh, who was on the spot at the time of the incident, said.
Condolences poured in from all quarters. “My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. An ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given ₹50,000,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Office posted on X.
President Droupadi Murmu called the incident heartbreaking. “I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the swift recovery of those injured,” she said.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, “I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in this accident. I am with them in this hour of grief. I hope for the speedy recovery of the injured.”