At least 12 people were killed and many others injured after a truck ran over devotees gathered near Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, early Sunday morning, October 18.
The tragedy happened close to Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, where a large number of people gathered for prayers early in the morning on Oct. 18.
The incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. when a truck loaded with paddy lost control as it approached the temple from the Chhinor side, police officials said. It crossed police barricades on a steep road where heavy vehicles had been blocked and crashed into devotees, hitting the temple entrance gate and outer wall.
The impact caused panic in the crowd and some people were caught in the path of the truck. The outer structure of the temple was damaged in the collision.
Several Injured, Rescue Operations Launched
Emergency services were notified immediately after the accident and ambulances were sent to the scene to take people to hospitals, authorities said. 39 people were taken to hospitals after the incident, local authorities said. Twelve deaths were reported and several injured were treated for their injuries. Some of them were in critical condition, they said.
There were also two police personnel injured in the incident, the officials said.
Rescue teams and local authorities responded to the victims and handled the situation around the temple. Injured people were quickly taken in for medical examination and tests and scans of the injuries as well as by medical staff.
There are serious concerns about the safety arrangements on roads leading to places of worship in the city for large numbers of people at festivals, especially at night and early morning, during major festivals.
Madhya Pradesh- 12 dead, many injured after truck runs over group of devotees near Sheetla Mata temple in Gwalior. https://t.co/N6Lwkl1CIh
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) October 18, 2026
Investigation Into How the Truck Lost Control
Gwalior district officials are investigating the accident. The truck entered the restricted area despite barricades and a police checkpoint set up during Navratri, they said.
A team from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) has also been assigned to examine the vehicle mechanically. A technical error could have caused the driver to lose control, the inspection will show.
Officials are also examining how the truck moved on the steep road and how it crossed into an area where devotees were gathered.
The exact cause of the accident will be known after the investigation and mechanical inspection are completed. Details about the victims and the condition of the patients are not known yet.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh | Several dead and multiple people injured after a truck ran over several people near a temple in Gwalior Visuals from the hospital where the injured have been taken https://t.co/9h5R7cNgJW
— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2026
Questions Over Crowd and Road Safety
The tragedy once again has put the big vehicles and people in close proximity to the busy places of religious worship at risk. In Navratri, festivals typically have traffic curfews and checkpoints to keep the devotees safe.
But the Gwalior incident has raised questions about whether such measures are effective and if there should be more precautions on steep roads leading to temples.
As the investigation continues, the immediate priority for the injured and the families of those who are injured is to treat them and assist the families. So the festival is affected and many of the people who visited the temple have lost their lives in the last few days.
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