GWALIOR, Oct 18: At least 14 people were killed and 28 others injured after a speeding truck ploughed into devotees gathered outside the Sheetla Mata temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior district in the early hours of Sunday, police said.
The accident occurred around 1.30 am near a slope on Chinor Road, when the truck, bearing a Punjab registration number, struck worshippers and roadside shops before crashing into the shrine’s entrance gate. The force of the collision brought down a section of the temple wall, officials said.
Two to four of the injured were reported to be in critical condition. The victims were taken to various hospitals, including the trauma centre in Gwalior, for treatment.
Police said the heavy vehicle entered a restricted no-entry zone, raising questions about how it reached an area crowded with devotees. Authorities said the circumstances surrounding the breach of traffic restrictions and possible security failures would be investigated.
According to an investigator, the truck may have suffered brake failure. The driver allegedly swerved to the left in an attempt to control the vehicle. The investigator said the consequences could have been even more severe had the truck continued straight into a gathering of an estimated 600 to 700 devotees.
Acting Inspector General of Police for the Gwalior range, Asit Yadav, confirmed that 14 people had died and 28 sustained injuries. He also said a portion of the temple wall on the left side of the structure collapsed following the impact.
An earlier police estimate had put the number of injured at nearly 40.
The truck driver reportedly escaped after the collision, prompting police teams to begin a search to locate and apprehend him. Asked how the vehicle had entered the prohibited zone, Yadav said the alleged lapses would be examined as part of the investigation.
Families demand answers
The tragedy triggered grief and anger among relatives who gathered near the post-mortem facility at the Gwalior trauma centre. Several questioned how a heavy vehicle could enter an area that they believed was inaccessible to ordinary traffic.
Lokendra Singh Tomar, whose aunt Sarla Tomar was among those killed, demanded accountability over the circumstances that allowed the truck to reach the temple entrance.
He told reporters that his aunt had been on her way to offer prayers when the accident occurred and questioned whether adequate security arrangements had been maintained at the shrine.
Pawan Rathore, 23, a resident of Gadaipur in Gwalior’s Hazira area, was also among the deceased. His family took his body away amid profound grief. Rathore had visited the temple to pray when the vehicle struck the devotees.
The incident also left families struggling to locate relatives amid the confusion that followed the crash.
Savitri, a relative of the deceased Divyansh, said the family realised he was missing after their group emerged from the temple following prayers. They searched for him and informed the police but were initially unable to find him. They later returned inside the premises, where they identified him, she said.
Injured devotees receive hospital treatment
Relatives of those injured described the uncertainty and distress they experienced while trying to establish the condition of their loved ones.
Sandeep, a relative of injured devotee Nikesh, said the family received a telephone call around 5 am informing them that Nikesh had been hurt in the incident.
When they reached the hospital, Nikesh was in critical condition, with fractures in both legs. He had been placed on a ventilator, Sandeep said.
Gajendra Prajapati, the brother-in-law of another injured man, said his relative, who operated a shop near the temple, had been admitted to hospital following the accident.
According to Prajapati, the injured man told his family that he had struggled to understand what was happening because smoke had filled the area.
Investigation focuses on vehicle entry
The accident has raised concerns about traffic management and access controls around the temple, particularly during periods when large numbers of worshippers gather to offer prayers.
Investigators are examining how the truck entered the restricted area, whether mechanical failure contributed to the crash and what circumstances led the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
The suspected brake failure remains an investigative possibility rather than a confirmed cause. The driver’s account and a technical examination of the truck could help establish how the collision occurred.
Police are also searching for the driver, who fled the scene, while injured victims continue to receive medical care.
The incident has left families mourning their loved ones and seeking clarity over the sequence of events. Questions surrounding the truck’s entry into the no-entry zone and the adequacy of preventive arrangements are expected to form important parts of the investigation.