Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) [India], October 18 (ANI): Grieving family members of the victims of a truck accident near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, on Saturday night, expressed anguish over the deaths. One of the members also questioned the delay in taking the injured to the hospital.
At least 14 people died, and several others were injured after an out-of-control truck crashed into devotees gathered near the temple late Saturday night, breaking through a police checkpoint and damaging the temple’s gate and outer wall.
The mother of Divyansh, who lost her son in the accident, said she was informed about it early in the morning.
“There was my daughter-in-law, my elder and younger sons. I was informed at 6 a.m. My daughter went to find them, but police did not allow her. Why wouldn’t the police help me find her? Tell me—if it were your own child, wouldn’t you be in pain?” she said.
A grieving family member questioned the delay in taking the victim to the hospital and said the family had been unaware of the child’s death.
“If the accident happened at 2 o’clock, why was he taken to the hospital at 4 o’clock? They should have brought him in at the time. Now the child has lost his life, and the authorities say to sign the papers… We were informed that he was being treated; we did not have any clue that our child is no more…” the family member said.
Meanwhile, according to Gwalior’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dharmveer Singh, the incident occurred at around 1:30 AM when a paddy-laden truck travelling from the Chhinor direction lost control on a steep slope where heavy vehicles are restricted.
The truck reportedly broke through police barricades before running over pilgrims on the road and crashing into the temple’s outer wall and gate.
“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 1.30 AM, 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.
“Two police personnel who were on duty at the spot were also injured, and their treatment is ongoing,” he added.
Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan also detailed the incident, saying that after receiving the information regarding the accident, ambulances and other vehicles were dispatched for the relief operation. She said that 29 people have sustained various injuries.
“Today, at around 1.30 AM, information was received that a truck coming from the direction of Chhinor towards the temple lost control and veered continuously to the left. Immediately, news of the accident started coming in, and ambulances and other vehicles were dispatched,” she said. (ANI)
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