At least eight people were killed and 17 others injured after a tempo traveller carrying pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh to Rajasthan’s Khatu Shyam temple broke through a road divider and plunged nearly 20 feet into a seasonal drain along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Kota district on Saturday morning, police said.
The authority further stated that emergency response teams were mobilised immediately after the accident was reported. Seven of the deceased have been identified as Aruna, Vaishnavi, Trisha, Krishna, Anita, Om Suryavanshi and Raju, while the identity of the eighth victim is yet to be established. The injured include Hemlata Gaikwad, Ajay, Vanshika, Monisha, Chitresh, Saransh, Chetan, Krishvi, Vaidhi, Neelu, Santosh, Varsha and Kamlesh. Four passengers died on the spot, while four others succumbed to their injuries en route to the hospital. The impact severely damaged the front portion of the vehicle, leaving several passengers trapped inside. Villagers and passersby rushed to the spot and began helping the passengers. Police personnel, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) rescue teams and emergency ambulance services subsequently joined the operation. Meanwhile, the NHAI, in a statement posted on its official X handle, attributed the accident to suspected driver fatigue and excessive speed.
A total of 17 passengers were reported injured in the accident, although only some have been identified so far. The accident occurred between 6 am and 7 am.
Police suspect that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, although the exact cause of the accident is yet to be established, officers said. An NHAI crane was deployed to retrieve the badly damaged vehicle from the drain, officers said. “Four ambulances were immediately dispatched to the accident site after authorities received information about the incident,” Sultanpur Block Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Rajesh Samar said. “Four NHAI ambulances, a route patrol vehicle (RPV) team, a crane, a JCB, two ambulances from the 108 emergency service and other available emergency vehicles reached the spot and began relief and rescue operations,” it said.
