14 Devotees Killed as Truck Runs Into Crowd Near Gwalior Temple
Image: Wikimedia Commons (file photo)
Fourteen people were killed when a truck loaded with paddy ran into devotees near the Sheetla Mata temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, at around 1:30 am on Sunday, during Navratri. Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan confirmed the toll of 14, The Statesman reported. Reports put the number of injured at between 26 and 40, and three to six of them were said to be in critical condition.
How the Crash Happened
The truck was coming from the Chhinor side and lost control on a steep downward slope, hitting people along the road before striking the temple gate and outer wall, reports said. Police had stopped the vehicle at a checkpoint, but it broke through the barricades before going down the slope, The Statesman reported. Heavy vehicles are not allowed on the road during the festival. Two police personnel were among the injured.
Authorities have ordered a mechanical inspection of the truck. Dainik Jagran reported that police had arrested the driver and the truck’s owner; this has not been confirmed in other reports. Grieving families have accused the police of negligence, The Statesman reported.
Compensation and Inquiry
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Rs 4 lakh for the family of each person killed, Rs 2 lakh for each seriously injured person and Rs 50,000 for others with injuries, along with free treatment, and ordered an inquiry by the district administration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of each person killed and Rs 50,000 for each injured person, ANI reported. State minister Rakesh Shukla visited the injured at the trauma centre.
Why It Matters for Festival Crowds
Lakhs of people walk to temples and pandals late into the night during Navratri, often on roads shared with goods traffic. The central question in Gwalior is how a heavy truck got past a police checkpoint on a road meant to be closed to such vehicles.
The crash comes hours after the Chorbagan pandal stampede in Kolkata, in which 19 people died, and a day after eight pilgrims from Betul were killed near Kota. More in IPB’s Unforeseen Events section.
Based on reporting by The Statesman, The Statesman (earlier report), ANI, ANI (ex-gratia), Telangana Today and Dainik Jagran.
Image: Wikimedia Commons (file photo of a goods truck, not the vehicle involved).
