Priyanka Gandhi expresses grief over devotees’ deaths in Gwalior truck accident
New Delhi : Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday expressed grief over the deaths of devotees after a truck hit them near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.
In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi extended her condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
She said, “The news of the death of a large number of devotees due to an uncontrolled truck hitting them near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, is extremely heartbreaking. May God grant peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in this tragic incident. I pray for the swift recovery of the injured devotees.”
The accident occurred around 1.30 am when a truck loaded with paddy, reportedly travelling from the Chhinor direction, lost control while descending a steep slope and crashed into devotees gathered near Sheetla Mata Temple. The truck allegedly broke through barricades and a police checkpoint before running over pilgrims and hitting the temple’s outer wall and gate.
The death toll in the accident rose to 14 on Sunday, according to Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan. The deceased include two women, two children below the age of 18 and ten men. Three to four injured people remain critically ill, while several others have been discharged after receiving initial treatment.
According to Gwalior Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmveer Singh, 39 people were taken to hospital following the accident, including two police personnel who were on duty at the spot. Both policemen were injured and are undergoing treatment.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of life in a truck accident near Sheetla Mata Temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
