Out-of-Control Truck Kills 13 Devotees at Hindu Festival in India, Officials Say
Police said the truck broke through barricades and hit devotees during Navratri, leaving two police personnel injured and prompting an investigation into security lapses.
- On Sunday, October 18, 2026, a paddy-laden truck broke through police barricades and crashed into devotees gathered at the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, killing 14 people around 1:30 AM.
- Authorities launched an investigation into how the truck bypassed police checkpoints established during Navratri, with an RTO team inspecting the vehicle for mechanical failures including possible brake issues.
- Nearly 40 people were hospitalised following the accident, with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announcing ₹4 lakh compensation for next of kin of each deceased and ₹50,000 for each injured.
- Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered the removal of the Gwalior City Superintendent of Police and suspended eight other officers, including three station house officers and one traffic inspector, citing alleged negligence.
- Officials ordered a security review at religious sites to prevent future incidents, as India recorded more than 183,000 road traffic deaths in 2025, highlighting systemic risks from inadequate infrastructure and ill-maintained vehicles.
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In another incident, 19 people were crushed in a stampede during another religious festival in Calculta
A truck driver in the Indian city of Gwalior drove at high speed into a crowd of people celebrating a Hindu festival, killing 16 and injuring at least 40 others. Indian media reported the incident on Sunday.
A high-speed traffic truck killed 13 people on Sunday (18) while hitting a crowd in central India, during a Hindu festival, informed the authorities. The truck, which was heavily loaded, would have lost control on Sunday morning and hit the faithful gathered in a temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh state, in the central region of the country.
A truck drove into a crowd at a Hindu religious festival, killing 15 people and injuring 26. The driver and the owner of the vehicle were taken into custody.
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