15 Killed As Truck Hits Devotees Outside Gwalior Temple; Nine Cops Face Action

Fifteen people, including several teenagers, were killed and 28 injured when a speeding truck ran into devotees outside the Sheetla Mata temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district early on Sunday, police said.

The truck entered a no-entry zone on Chinor Road around 1.30 am and struck devotees and roadside stalls before crashing into the temple’s entrance gate. Part of a temple wall collapsed under the impact, trapping people beneath the debris.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered an inquiry into the incident, removed Gwalior’s City Superintendent of Police from his post and suspended eight other police personnel over alleged negligence.

Truck Veered Left While Descending Slope

Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan said the Punjab-registered truck was coming from Chinor when it suddenly swerved left while travelling downhill.

An investigator said its brakes may have failed, forcing the driver to turn left in an attempt to control the vehicle. Had it continued straight, it could have hit a gathering of 600 to 700 devotees, the investigator said.

The driver fled the scene, and police teams were searching for him. The cause of the crash remained under investigation.

The temple was crowded past midnight, with devotees arriving for and returning from prayers during the Sharadiya Navratri celebrations.

“The accident occurred because the truck entered a prohibited area,” Yadav told reporters in Indore, according to PTI. Asked how it had crossed into the restricted zone, he said the lapses would be investigated.

Families Question How Truck Reached Shrine

Relatives gathered outside the post-mortem facility at Gwalior’s trauma centre and questioned the security arrangements. Several said even smaller vehicles were being restricted near the shrine.

Lokendra Singh Tomar, whose aunt Sarla Tomar was killed while going to offer prayers, demanded answers about how the truck had been allowed through, The New Indian Express reported.

Ravi, a devotee who escaped with his family, alleged that security was inadequate despite the large gathering. He said they had avoided the vehicle by seconds.

Among those killed was Pawan Rathore, 23, a resident of Gadaipur in Gwalior’s Hazira area.

Several Injured Remain Critical

The bodies and injured devotees were taken to different hospitals, including Gwalior’s trauma centre. Two police personnel on duty were among the injured.

Two to four patients were reported to be critical. Dr Sudhir Saxena of Jaya Arogya Government Hospital said multiple teams were treating the injured, with some patients out of danger and others still critical.

Sandeep, a relative of injured devotee Nikesh, said the family received a call around 5 am. When they reached the hospital, Nikesh was on a ventilator with both legs fractured, he said.

Nine Police Personnel Face Action

“Instructions have been issued to immediately remove the CSP from his post and suspend three station house officers, one traffic inspector, one head constable, and three constables,” Yadav said on X.

The Chief Minister said the inquiry would identify those responsible and that security arrangements would be reviewed.

Yadav announced Rs 4 lakh for each deceased person’s family and said the government would cover treatment costs for those seriously injured. Those with minor injuries would receive Rs 50,000 each.