Action was taken against nine Indian police personnel, including the removal of a City Superintendent of Police (CSP) from his post and the suspension of eight other personnel, over alleged negligence after a truck crashed into a temple in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, killing at least 14.
India's Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav instructions had been issued to take action against the personnel and conduct a detailed investigation to fix responsibility after the accident near Sheetla Mata Temple.
He further said security arrangements would be reviewed to prevent similar incidents and stressed that negligence in matters concerning public safety would not be tolerated.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
"To prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, the security arrangements will be reviewed and necessary steps taken. No negligence will be tolerated at any level in public safety," Yadav added.
The accident occurred around 1.30am on Sunday when a truck loaded with paddy lost control while descending a steep slope and crashed into devotees gathered near Sheetla Mata Temple.
The truck allegedly broke through barricades and a police checkpoint before running over pilgrims and hitting the temple's outer wall and gate.
The 14 deceased include two women, two children below the age of 18 and 10 men. Three to four injured people remain critically ill, while several others have been discharged after receiving initial treatment.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs200,000 from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs50,000 for each injured person.
The accident has also triggered anger among victims' families, who have alleged police negligence and delays in rescue efforts. The district administration has initiated an investigation into the circumstances of the accident, including how the truck crossed the barricades and police checkpoint installed on the road.
Madhya Pradesh CM Yadav also expressed grief over the deaths and announced financial assistance for the affected families.
In a post on X, Yadav said the state government stood with the families affected by the tragedy and that instructions had been issued to provide Rs400,000 to the families of each deceased person, Rs200,000 to each seriously injured person and Rs50,000 to each other injured person. He added that all injured people would receive free treatment.