At least 14 people, including two women and two teenagers, were killed in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior after an out-of-control truck entered a prohibited zone and rammed into a crowd of devotees near a famous temple in the early hours of Sunday (October 18, 2026), officials said. More than 40 people were injured in the accident.
According to the police and eyewitnesses, the incident took place around 1:30 a.m. near Sheetla Mata Mandir, located in the hills of the Santau area, about 20 kilometres from Gwalior city, when a paddy-grains–laden truck hurtled down a steep slope, rammed into devotees waiting outside the temple premises, crashed into a wall near the temple gate, and brought it down. Officers said that the truck was bound for Punjab and that the driver was using GPS navigation for the route.
Gwalior Superintendent of Police (SP) Dharm Vir Singh told The Hindu that 42 people injured have been admitted to various hospitals across the city and some of them are in critical condition.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered transfer of SP, City (Vishwavidyalaya) Ravi Bhadoriya over negligence along with suspension of eight police personnel, including three town inspectors, a traffic inspector, a head constable and three constables. Mr. Yadav also issued orders for a detailed investigation into the tragedy.
Mr. Singh said that the driver, who had fled the spot, and the truck owner have been arrested and are being interrogated. He said that they both hail from Punjab and were held from neighbouring Dholpur district in Rajasthan.
“During questioning, the driver is saying that the vehicle’s brakes began to malfunction when he was climbing an uphill road and as soon as he reached a slope, the brakes stopped working and he lost control of the truck so he turned towards the left and rammed into the area outside the temple where several devotees were present,” Mr. Singh said, adding that a medical test is being conducted to ascertain whether he was driving under the influence or not.
The SP said that while barricades and crowd management arrangements were in place at the temple, the truck broke about five barricades, injuring two personnel of the State Home Guards.
Mr. Singh also said that the investigation into the case was underway and the police were trying to ascertain how the truck entered the prohibited zone despite the diversions and checkpoints being in place.
Several post-crash videos from the spot showed chaotic scenes with many devotees running around to save themselves and find their relatives. A video also showed some people stuck under the truck.
Several devotees also alleged poor security arrangements and a delay in emergency response from the authorities.
A grieving family alleged that their son was brought to the hospital around 4 a.m. and that he died due to delay in getting treatment.
“If the accident happened before 2 o’clock, why was he brought here at 4? He lost his life. They should have brought him right then. The police did not even inform us about the tragedy, we found out from one of his friends. We assumed that he was under treatment because we were told he was at the trauma centre so we sat there. Now, they are saying he is here,” the boy’s sister said, speaking to a news agency outside a government mortuary in Gwalior, even as his mother and other families wept.
The temple, famous in the region, receives a heavy footfall of devotees from Gwalior and neighbouring districts with the crowd surging during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri.
Meanwhile, Mr. Yadav announced an ex-gratia of Rs4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and financial assistance of Rs2 lakh each for the critically injured and ₹50,000 each to other injured persons.
“A detailed investigation into the incident has been ordered 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,” he said on X.
Several senior leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, have expressed grief over the deaths and prayed for a swift recovery of the injured.
Mr. Modi also announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh for the families of each deceased and financial aid of ₹50,000 for each injured from the PM National Relief Fund (PMNRF), the Prime Minister’s Office said on X.
Published – October 18, 2026 09:44 am IST
