▲ The scene after a truck plowed into worshippers gathered around the Shitla Mata Hindu temple in Gwalior, central Madhya Pradesh, India, on the 18th, causing 15 deaths.
Major accidents continue to occur at Hindu festival sites in India.
According to local media including the Hindustan Times, at around 1:30 a.m. local time on the 18th, a truck plowed into a crowd of worshippers at the famous Shitla Mata Hindu temple in the Gwalior region of central Madhya Pradesh, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 20 others.
At the time of the accident, two trucks loaded with grain had stopped at a police barricade, and one of them rushed toward the temple, which was about 50 meters away down a slope.
Police reported that the truck struck worshippers and street vendors before colliding with the temple building, causing part of the temple wall to collapse and trapping people underneath.
The casualties were higher because hundreds of worshippers had gathered around the temple to celebrate Navratri, a festival honoring the Hindu goddess Durga.
Following the accident, the truck driver fled the scene but was arrested in the neighboring state of Rajasthan, and the owner of the truck was also detained by police.
Local police are investigating whether there was a mechanical defect and whether the driver was negligent, based on the driver's statement that he lost control of the vehicle due to brake failure.
Witnesses stated that there was no police personnel or anyone else controlling the entry of large vehicles at the time of the accident, and that police neglected victims trapped under the truck for several hours even after the crash.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated that the police negligence in this accident was severe, and relieved the head of the Gwalior city police of his duties while suspending eight police officers.
Chief Minister Yadav expressed condolences to the victims and said that compensation of 200,000 rupees (approximately 2.8 million won) will be provided to the bereaved families, and 50,000 rupees (approximately 700,000 won) to the injured.
Previously, on the 17th, a stampede also occurred at the Durga Puja Hindu festival venue in Kolkata, West Bengal, in eastern India, leaving 19 dead and about 20 injured.
Like Navratri, Durga Puja is Kolkata's largest festival worshiping the goddess Durga, drawing numerous worshippers to the event.
(Photo: Reuters, Yonhap News)
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