New Delhi/Gwalior, Oct 18 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Congress party on Sunday expressed distress over the road accident near Shitla Mata Temple in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior and raised concerns over the crowd management, adding that the State government must take responsibility for the tragedy.
Fourteen people were killed, while 27 were injured after a truck rammed into shops near Shitla Mata Temple early on Sunday. The incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday when the truck lost control while descending a slope near the historic Shitla Mata Temple, located 18 kilometres from the district headquarters.
Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said that the news of the accident is "extremely heartbreaking and soul-wrenching".
"My deepest condolences go out to the families of those who lost their lives in this horrific accident. I pray to God for the swift recovery of the injured," Kharge posted on X.
"I expect the state government to ensure prompt medical facilities for the injured, immediate appropriate compensation and all possible assistance for the affected families. Such accidents raise serious questions about crowd management, and the government and administration must be held accountable," he added.
Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari also took to social media and expressed grief over the incident.
"May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the grieving families to bear this unbearable sorrow. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured in the incident. The administration must ensure proper treatment for the injured and a fair investigation into the accident, so that such a tragedy never recurs," he said.
In a separate post, addressed to MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Patwari said, "After a similar incident in Indore, instead of taking concrete action, you merely resorted to cover-ups. Neither was accountability fixed, nor was a check placed on negligence. Today's heartbreaking incident in Gwalior has once again exposed the flaws in the system."
"After all, how long will these accidents continue, how long will the common people keep paying the price for negligence with their lives? When will concrete steps be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents? When will the government understand the value of an ordinary person's life?" he questioned.
Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, taking to X, said that the news of the Gwalior road accident was "extremely heartbreaking and distressing".
"I offer my humble tribute to all those who lost their lives in this heart-wrenching accident. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. May God grant them the strength to bear this unbearable sorrow. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured in the accident," he added.
Meanwhile, families of those killed in the tragic road accident gathered outside the post-mortem house on Sunday and expressed outrage over what they alleged was the administration's failure to ensure proper traffic management during the heavy rush of devotees amid the Navratri festival.
They assembled outside the post-mortem house in large numbers, raising questions over the district administration's arrangements and demanding accountability for the tragedy.
The incident has triggered widespread anger among residents. Questions are being raised over the police administration's handling of traffic regulation and public safety during the festival. People have demanded strict action against those found responsible for the lapses that allegedly led to the accident.
The tragedy occurred during the auspicious festival of Navratri, when hundreds of thousands of devotees visit the historic Shitla Mata Temple. Typically, the route passing by the temple is closed to large vehicles during this period; hence, an investigation is underway to determine who allowed the truck to enter.
Officials have stated that they are probing who authorised the truck's entry and whose negligence led to this incident.
The victims' families have questioned how the movement of a truck wasn't prohibited in the vicinity of the Shitla Mata Temple.
Source: IANS
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