Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav ordered removal of the City Superintendent of Police (CSP) from his post and the suspension of eight other police personnel over alleged negligence following a truck accident near Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior that claimed 15 lives and ordered a detailed investigation into the incident.
In a post on X, Yadav said, “Taking the negligence in the incident near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior seriously, instructions have been issued to immediately remove the CSP from his post and suspend three station house officers, one traffic inspector, one head constable, and three constables with ordering a detailed investigation into the incident, so that responsibility can be fixed and strict action ensured against the guilty.”
“The safety of all citizens is paramount. 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,” he added.
A truck ran over devotees near Sheetala Mata Temple in Gwalior before crashing into the temple's entrance gate late on Saturday, police said. The force of the impact sent a section of the gateway wall crashing down, trapping several people under the debris. At least fifteen people were killed and 27 were injured.
Preliminary investigation suggested a mechanical failure that caused the driver to lose control, according to Gwalior superintendent of police (SP) Dharamveer Yadav.
The truck owner, Mohit Singh, and driver Dilbag Singh were arrested.
The incident occured at 1:30 am, when a truck laden with paddy coming from the Chinor side was stopped by police at the barricade, but the driver lost control on the slope and plowed into roadside stalls and devotees. The truck then broke through the barricades and struck the entrance gate after running over devotees and stalls, according to SP Yadav.
"On the occasion of Saptami, a large crowd from Gwalior and surrounding districts had gathered at the temple late on (Saturday) night. In view of the crowd, entry of heavy vehicles was restricted," Yadav said.
Police said five-six prasad stalls were damaged and nearly 41 people were hit in the accident. Rescue teams and police immediately rushed to the spot and pulled out those trapped under the collapsed wall.
CM Yadav condoled the incident and announced financial assistance of 4 lakh rupees each to the families of the deceased, 2 lakh rupees each to the seriously injured, and 50 thousand rupees each to the other injured.
“All the injured will receive free treatment. The affected families are from Gwalior, Shivpuri, and Sheopur,” he said on X.
“The news of the deaths of devotees in the truck accident that occurred in Gwalior is extremely heart-wrenching. In this hour of grief, the state government stands with all affected families. My condolences are with the families of all the deceased,” he added.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister's Office said: “Distressed to learn about the loss of lives due to a mishap in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of the injured. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each of those who lost their lives. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.”