Eleven people were killed and three others injured after a tractor-trolley carrying devotees overturned during a Durga idol immersion in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district on Thursday.
The bodies of all 11 victims have been recovered and sent for post-mortem, Khandwa Collector Rishav Gupta said.
Of the three injured, two are reported to be out of danger, while one remains in serious condition and is undergoing treatment.
According to Gupta, the victims were part of a group from Rajgarh Panchayat who had travelled to Jamli village for idol immersion.
“Despite warnings from a village officer that the water ahead was deep, they continued. The trolley, carrying about 25 people, became unbalanced and overturned. Villagers, along with SDRF and Home Guard teams, rushed to the scene, and the entire administration, led by the MLA, coordinated rescue efforts,” Gupta said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy and announced ex-gratia payments from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF). “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in an accident at Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. My thoughts are with the affected families. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh will be given to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 to the injured,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a post on X.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also condoled the loss of lives and announced financial aid of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased. “The accidents during the Durga immersion in Jamli and near Ujjain are extremely tragic. I pray to Goddess Durga for the speedy recovery of the injured and for strength to the bereaved families,” he posted on X.
-ANI