New Delhi, 18 October (H.S.): President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic road accident in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, in which 13 people were killed and 29 others injured. The Prime Minister also announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh for the family of each deceased person and Rs 50,000 for each injured person from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

President Murmu expressed her condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured. In a message posted on social media platform X, she described the loss of lives in the accident as heartbreaking and conveyed her deepest sympathies to the bereaved families.

Prime Minister Modi also expressed grief over the tragedy, extending his condolences to the affected families and wishing the injured a swift recovery. He announced that an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh would be provided to the next of kin of each victim who lost their life, while those injured would receive Rs 50,000 each through the PMNRF.

The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday near the Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, where devotees had gathered to offer prayers on the occasion of Saptami. A speeding truck reportedly lost control while descending a slope on the Chinaur Road, broke through police barricades and ploughed into devotees before crashing into roadside shops and the temple’s entrance gate.

The impact caused a wall to collapse, trapping several people beneath the debris. Thirteen deaths have been confirmed, while 29 people sustained injuries, including seven whose condition was reported to be critical. Women, children and elderly people were among those killed.

The tragedy has cast a shadow over the religious gathering, with the loss of lives prompting condolences from the country’s highest constitutional and executive offices. The announced financial assistance is intended to provide immediate support to the families of the deceased and those injured in the accident.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar