MP: 15 killed, 25 injured as truck runs over devotees near Gwalior temple

Gwalior/Bhopal: Fifteen persons were killed and more than 25 injured when a speeding truck ploughed into devotees outside a temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district early Sunday, with police suspecting the driver was following a Google Maps shortcut.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief and announced financial assistance for the victims’ families, while Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a probe and action against nine police personnel for alleged negligence.

The paddy-laden truck, bearing a Punjab registration number, entered a no-entry zone on Chinar Road at around 1.30 am, “came like a storm” and hit devotees waiting for darshan and roadside shops before crashing into the entrance gate of the 125-year-old Sheetla Mata temple, police and eyewitnesses said.

The impact brought down a section of the temple wall, trapping people under the debris, officials said. The truck driver fled the scene, and police teams searched for him and arrested him, they added.

President Droupadi Murmu termed the loss of lives saddening and expressed her deepest condolences to the bereaved families.

Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced ex gratia assistance of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured person from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), according to a government statement.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also condoled the deaths and said that the injured were being provided with the best possible medical care.

CM Yadav announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each deceased, Rs 2 lakh to each seriously injured person and Rs 50,000 to other injured persons. The state will also bear the treatment expenses of the seriously injured, he said. Yadav is scheduled to reach Gwalior and meet the families of the victims on Monday.

The multi-axle truck broke through police barricades while hurtling down a slope towards the shrine, Collector Ruchika Chouhan said. Two police personnel were injured while trying to stop it, she said, adding that the Regional Transport Office had been asked to examine the vehicle.

A search for a shortcut on Google Maps may have led the truck driver, Bilbagh Singh (40), into the restricted zone near the temple, an official told PTI.

An investigator said the truck’s brakes might have failed, forcing Singh to swerve left to control the vehicle. Had it continued straight, it would have ploughed into at least 600 to 700 devotees, he said.

The accident occurred outside the temple, located about 20 km from Gwalior city, where thousands of devotees had gathered for Navratri prayers. Since vehicles are supposed to be parked about a kilometre from the shrine, it was not immediately clear how the truck entered the restricted area.

Yadav ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and action against nine police personnel. He directed the removal of the Gwalior City Superintendent of Police and suspension of three station house officers, a traffic inspector, a head constable and three constables.

In a post on X, Yadav said the accident occurred because the truck entered a prohibited area. He directed officials to conduct a fact-based inquiry and submit a report, adding that responsibility would be fixed and strict action taken against those found guilty.

“The safety of all citizens is paramount. To prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, security arrangements will be reviewed and necessary steps taken. No negligence will be tolerated at any level in public safety,” he said.

Separately, Collector Chouhan ordered a magisterial inquiry and appointed Additional District Magistrate C B Prasad as the inquiry officer. He has been asked to submit a report within seven days.

Acting Inspector General of Police Asit Yadav told PTI that the impact brought down a wall on the temple’s left side. The injured were shifted to different hospitals.

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia met the injured persons and enquired about their condition.

The deceased were identified as Satendra Singh Gurjar (22), Sarla Tomar (50), Gaurav Parihar (18), Mahesh Sharma (45), Vimlesh Baghel (18), Devesh Baghel (17), Chhotu Jatav (16), Shaurya Sharma (16), Hemant Rathore (19), Divyansh Kushwah (17), Pawan Rathore (23), Lav Tyagi (15), Aman Tyagi (13), Ashok Tyagi (45) and Nitesh (18).

Relatives gathered near the post-mortem facility questioned how a truck could reach the temple area. Eyewitnesses said the truck “came like a storm”.

Lokendra Singh Tomar, nephew of deceased devotee Sarla Tomar, questioned how the truck entered the temple area despite security arrangements.

Savitri, a relative of Divyansh Kushwah, said the family realised he was missing after their group came out of the temple following prayers. They later identified him inside the premises, she said.

Pawan Rathore, a resident of Gadaipur in Gwalior’s Hazira area, was also among those killed. His family took his body away amid inconsolable grief.

Sandeep, a relative of injured devotee Nikesh, said they received a call about the accident around 5 am. When they reached the hospital, Nikesh was in critical condition, with both legs fractured, and had been placed on a ventilator.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik were among those who expressed deep condolences over the tragedy.