A speeding truck loaded with paddy ran over devotees waiting near Sheetlamata Mandir in Gwalior early Sunday, killing 13 people and injuring nearly 40 others, police said. The crash occurred around 1.30am on Sheetlamata Mandir Road after the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle.
According to Gwalior Superintendent of Police Dharamvir Yadav, the truck struck people who were standing and sitting along the roadside near the temple. The vehicle came to a halt after crashing into the temple wall, an official said.
“Thirteen persons were killed near the Sheetlamata Mandir when an uncontrolled truck loaded with paddy hit devotees waiting on the roadside,” Yadav told PTI.
Nearly 40 people suffered injuries in the crash, the superintendent said. Four to five of the injured were reported to be in serious condition. The injured were being attended to as rescue operations continued under the supervision of senior officials.
The incident took place at a temple-side road where devotees had gathered along the roadside. The available information does not specify whether the gathering was linked to a scheduled religious event or whether any traffic restrictions or crowd-control arrangements were in place at the time of the crash.
The crash has brought immediate attention to the risks faced by pedestrians and religious gatherings located alongside active roads. In this case, police said the truck lost control before striking the devotees and colliding with the temple wall. The available account does not establish the cause of the alleged loss of control or whether any further action has been taken against the driver.
The incident also involved a commercial vehicle carrying paddy, but authorities have not yet released details about the truck’s ownership, route, speed, mechanical condition or the driver’s status. Police have also not announced whether a formal case has been registered or whether an investigation has begun into the circumstances leading to the crash.
Rescue operations were underway under the supervision of senior officials. Authorities are expected to establish the identities of those killed and injured and provide further information on the condition of the seriously injured as the response continues.
