GWALIOR: At least 12 pilgrims were killed and 27 others injured after a truck carrying rice hit a crowd near the Sheetala Mata temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday. Officials reported that five to six of the injured remain in critical condition.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dharamveer Singh stated that the incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. as the vehicle, traveling from Chinor, lost control on a steep slope.
Despite a ban on heavy vehicles on that road, the truck bypassed police barricades before striking the pilgrims and crashing into the temple’s outer wall and gate. Two police officers on duty were among those injured.
District Magistrate Ruchika Chauhan confirmed that ambulances and rescue vehicles were immediately dispatched to the site.
Authorities have launched an investigation into how the truck entered the restricted area and are conducting a technical inspection of the vehicle to determine the cause of the crash.
According to one witness, the truck appeared to be overloaded before it struck stalls and people in the area. The witness noted that their own sibling was among those injured in the accident.
