Truck crash kills 14 Hindu devotees, injures 25 in India

At least 14 people were killed and 25 others injured after an out-of-control truck ploughed into Hindu devotees gathered near a temple in India’s Madhya Pradesh state in the early hours of Sunday, according to an official.

Gwalior Police Senior Superintendent Dharmveer Singh said the accident occurred at around 1.30am when a truck loaded with paddy lost control while descending a steep slope where heavy vehicles are prohibited.

The truck reportedly broke through police barricades, ran over devotees on the road and crashed into the temple’s outer wall and gate.

Singh said 39 people were taken to hospital following the incident, including two police personnel who were on duty at the scene.

Fourteen victims had died, while five to six injured people were in critical condition and others had sustained minor injuries.

An eyewitness whose brother was injured said the truck was overloaded and some victims died at the scene.

Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan said ambulances and other vehicles were dispatched for rescue and relief operations after authorities received information about the accident.

An investigation has been launched into how the truck passed through the barricades and police checkpoint on the road.

Families of the victims accused police of arriving late at the scene, delaying the transfer of injured people to hospital and preventing relatives from searching for missing family members.