World

Truck Hits Devotees at Gwalior Temple, 12 Dead

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 18, 2026•3 min read

A paddy-laden truck lost control and broke through police barricades on a steep slope leading to the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India, early Sunday (10/18/2026) at around 1:30 AM local time. At least 12 Navratri devotees were killed and 39 people were hospitalized. The district administration is investigating a suspected brake failure and the weak security along the pilgrim route.

Key Facts

A paddy-laden truck went out of control and ploughed into a crowd of devotees on a steep slope leading to the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India, early Sunday (10/18/2026) at around 1:30 AM local time.
At least 12 people were killed and 39 were taken to hospital, with five to six of the injured in critical condition with fractures. Two police personnel on duty at the site were also injured.
The truck broke through police barricades and a checkpoint on the steep road from the Chhinor direction, a route where heavy vehicles are restricted during the Navratri festival.
After hitting the devotees, the truck crashed into the temple's gate and outer wall, partially collapsing the structure, and damaged five to six roadside stalls.
The Gwalior district administration has launched an investigation into a suspected brake failure and the failure of security arrangements; a Regional Transport Office (RTO) team has been sent to inspect the truck's mechanical condition.

Truck Broke Through Barricades on Steep Slope

A night of Navratri worship turned into mourning near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh state, India. A paddy-laden truck went out of control and rammed into a crowd of devotees early Sunday (10/18/2026) at around 1:30 AM local time, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more.

According to Gwalior Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dharmveer Singh, the truck was coming from the Chhinor direction and lost control on a steep sloping road. Heavy vehicles are barred from that stretch during the festival because of the large crowds of devotees arriving for worship. The truck reportedly broke through police barricades and a checkpoint before running over the pilgrims on the road.

After ploughing through the crowd, the truck crashed into the temple's gate and outer wall, causing part of it to collapse, and damaged five to six roadside stalls. Thirty-nine people were taken to hospital; five to six of them are in critical condition. Two police personnel on duty were also injured.

Investigation: Suspected Brake Failure, Weak Security

Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan said a Regional Transport Office (RTO) team has been dispatched to inspect the truck's mechanical condition, including a suspected brake failure. "We have sent an RTO team to inspect the truck mechanically and find out what issue occurred," she said, adding that medical teams continue to monitor the injured through CT scans and X-rays.

Equally serious is how the truck could pass through a heavily guarded road. Authorities had placed barriers and a police checkpoint on the stretch during Navratri, yet the truck still broke through. The district administration has promised a thorough investigation into the lax security along the pilgrim route.

The incident once again highlights weak safety at places of worship packed with thousands during major festivals, where heavy-vehicle restrictions rely on temporary barricades without adequate physical barriers.