Driver, owner arrested after speeding truck rams devotees near Gwalior temple; 15 killed

GWALIOR: At least 15 pilgrims were killed and 26 others, including two police personnel, were injured when a speeding truck ploughed into devotees and roadside stalls near the Sheetla Mata Temple on Chinor Road in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, around 1.30am on Sunday.

The truck driver, Dilbagh Singh, and the owner, Mohit Singh, have been arrested.

The truck rammed into the temple’s entrance gate, bringing down part of the wall and trapping several victims under the debris. Local residents, devotees and police personnel pulled them out. Many had suffered head injuries and fractures.

Collector Ruchika Chauhan confirmed the incident and initially put the death toll at 14. Hospital authorities had earlier reported 13 deaths, with seven injured people in critical condition, before the toll rose to 15. Officials said they were collecting details of patients admitted to other hospitals.

The injured were taken to the Gwalior Trauma Centre and other hospitals, where the collector and senior police officers reviewed the treatment arrangements.

Families of the victims questioned how a heavy vehicle had reached the spot despite restrictions. Several relatives said the lane was so narrow that even a bicycle could barely pass. A relative of a woman who died questioned who had allowed the truck to enter from the rear. Authorities have yet to clarify how the truck reached the crowded stretch or whether it had been permitted to enter the restricted zone.

Tension flared outside the post-mortem facility, where relatives had gathered to identify the dead. Some raised slogans against the police administration, prompting the deployment of a large police contingent. Officials said the death toll could rise as several injured people remained in critical condition.