Jaipur, August 13(HS): In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, a devastating road tragedy struck Rajasthan’s Dausa district, leaving 11 pilgrims dead and several others grievously injured. The accident occurred around 4 a.m. on the Dausa–Manoharpur stretch near Bapi, when a speeding container truck rammed into a passenger pickup carrying devotees returning from the sacred Khatu Shyam and Salasar temples.
The violent impact claimed 10 lives instantly. Another critically injured woman succumbed at Jaipur’s SMS Hospital a few hours later. Authorities confirmed that all the victims hailed from Asrauli village in Kasganj district (Etah), Uttar Pradesh.
Dausa District Collector Devendra Kumar said initial investigations reveal the container truck struck the pickup from behind. The overloaded vehicle was carrying over 22 devotees, including several women and children, on their homeward journey after days of pilgrimage.
Among the dead are seven children and four women — a heartbreaking toll for a single family-heavy group. Named casualties include Poorvi (3), Priyanka (25), Daksh (12), Sheela (35), Seema (25), Anshu (26), and Saurabh (35), while four bodies remain unidentified.
Those critically injured include multiple members of the same households — a grim reminder of how entire families can be shattered in seconds. Nine victims in critical condition have been rushed to Jaipur, while four with minor injuries are being treated at Dausa District Hospital.
Police and emergency crews worked throughout the early morning hours to rescue survivors from the mangled wreckage. Officials have reached out to the bereaved families, promising compensation and extended support.
This tragedy has sent shockwaves across the region, casting a pall of grief over both Rajasthan and the victims’ home villages in Uttar Pradesh. Once a joyful pilgrimage, the devotees’ journey home ended in unspeakable loss — a stark reminder of the deadly cost of India’s unchecked road accidents.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
