Gwalior. A horrific accident occurred with the devotees who had come to visit Shitala Mata temple during Navratri in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. At around 1:30 am on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, a speeding truck went out of control on the slope of Chinaur Road and hit the entrance of the temple, crushing devotees and roadside shops. 13 devotees died in the accident, while 29 people including two policemen were injured. The injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals and trauma centers. The condition of seven people is said to be very serious.
Truck lost control on slope, temple wall collapsed
The accident occurred when a large number of devotees were present in the temple for darshan. Some people were standing in queues, while many devotees were at nearby shops. Meanwhile, the truck descending the slope went out of control of the driver and collided with the gate of the temple, crushing the people coming on the way.
According to Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan, the truck hit the entrance of the temple after hitting the temporary roadside shops and devotees. The collision was so strong that the concrete wall of the temple collapsed. Information came to light that about 40 to 50 people were buried under the debris.
There was shouting and screaming after the accident, people did not get a chance to recover.
Eyewitness Gajendra Prajapati told that his brother-in-law used to run a shop near the temple and was injured in the accident. According to eyewitnesses, after the truck collision, a cloud of dust and smoke covered the spot. There was shouting all around and people did not even get a chance to understand or recover.
As soon as information about the accident was received, police and administration teams reached the spot. By conducting a relief and rescue operation, people trapped under the debris were taken out and the injured were taken to the hospital.
Mourning in the hospital, death of 13 devotees confirmed
Superintendent of 1000 bed hospital of Gwalior, Dr. Sudhir Saxena confirmed the death of 13 people in the accident. He said that the condition of seven of the injured admitted in the hospital is very serious.
On the other hand, outside the hospital and trauma center the family members are crying in bad condition. Savitri, the family of Divyansh, the child who lost his life in the accident, said that the family members had come out after having darshan, but despite a lot of searching, the child could not be found. Later, when searched inside the temple, Divyansh's body was found.
Identification of eight deceased who lost their lives in the accident
So far, eight dead people have been identified by the administration. Their names and ages are as follows:
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Satyendra Gurjar (22 years)
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Sarla Tomar (50 years)
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Gaurav Parihar (18 years)
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Mahesh Sharma (45 years)
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Vimlesh (18 years)
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Devesh Baghel (17 years)
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Prince alias Chhotu Jatav (16 years)
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Shaurya Sharma (15 years)
Truck seized, accident investigation started
After the accident, police and administration completed relief and rescue work and removed the debris. Police have seized the truck involved in the accident. The circumstances under which the accident occurred and why the truck driver could not control the vehicle are being investigated.
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