Gwalior, Oct 19: Fifteen devotees were killed and 39 hospitalised after a paddy-laden truck broke through police barricades and rammed into a crowd outside the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior in the early hours of Sunday, officials said. The crash happened around 1:30 am on the Chinor Road slope, a restricted stretch near the temple, where large numbers of devotees had gathered during Navratri.

According to officials cited by ANI, the truck came down the slope, broke the barricades and hit devotees before striking the temple wall and gate. The dead include two women and two children, the district Collector said. Dozens more were injured, among them two police personnel.

The injured were admitted to hospitals in Gwalior, where 39 people remained under treatment. Police seized the truck, and the Regional Transport Office was inspecting the vehicle as part of the investigation into how it entered the restricted road.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited the injured in hospital on Monday, accompanied by Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and ordered a detailed probe into the incident. He expressed grief over the deaths and directed officials to ensure the best possible treatment for the injured.

Sources: ANI (via LatestLY and Indian Economic Observer); Akashvani News; Nation Press; National Times.