At least 15 people were killed and several others injured after an out-of-control truck crashed into devotees near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh in India late Saturday night.
The truck broke through a police checkpoint before damaging the temple’s gate and outer wall, reports NDTV.
Gwalior Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dharmveer Singh said the incident occurred around 1:30am when a paddy-laden truck travelling from the Chhinor side lost control on a steep slope where heavy vehicles are restricted.
“This is a tragic incident where pilgrims were travelling to Sheetla Mata Temple in large numbers. The road coming from the Chhinor side has a steep slope where heavy traffic is restricted. Around 1.30am, a truck loaded with paddy was stopped there.
It broke through the police barricades, suddenly lost control, came down, and crashed into the outer wall and gate of the temple. The devotees who were on the road were crushed underneath it, leading to this accident,” Singh said.
He added that two police personnel on duty at the scene were also injured and were receiving treatment.
The SSP had earlier said that 39 people had been taken to hospital, including 12 who died. Five to six patients were critically injured, with fractures, while the others sustained minor injuries and were undergoing treatment.
Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan said authorities dispatched ambulances and other vehicles for rescue operations immediately after receiving reports of the incident.
Chauhan added authorities had launched an investigation to determine how the truck crossed the barricades and police checkpoint set up along the road during Navratri.
