By GlobalDeskNews Staff | Sunday, October 18, 2026
The death toll from the truck crash near Gwalior's Sheetla Mata Temple has kept climbing through Sunday morning, with police officials now giving different figures. In the latest update, acting Inspector General of Police (Gwalior range) Asit Yadav told PTI that 14 people were killed and 28 injured, the Economic Times reported at 10:32 IST. That is up from the 11 deaths reported in our earlier article published this morning, and it underlines how fast the count has moved as the critically injured succumbed.
The figures differ across official statements — Mathrubhumi English reported 13 dead, citing police officials; SSP Dharmveer Singh told NDTV that 12 of 39 hospitalised people had died; and Collector Ruchika Chauhan earlier put it at 11. The most conservative confirmed count is 12.
Gwalior Sheetla Mata Temple Truck Toll: How the Count Rose Through the Morning
When our first report went up early Sunday, police had confirmed at least 11 deaths. SSP Dharmveer Singh then told NDTV that 12 of 39 hospitalised people had died. Mathrubhumi English later reported 13 dead, citing police officials, and the Economic Times, updating at 10:32 IST, quoted acting IGP Asit Yadav telling PTI that 14 were killed and 28 injured.
Five to six patients remain critically injured with fractures, according to both the SSP and the Mathrubhumi update, and doctors are running CT scans and X-rays to guide their treatment. Two police personnel who were on duty at the barricades were also injured and are being treated, Singh said.
What Happened at 1:30 AM on Chinor Road
The crash happened at around 1:30 AM on Sunday outside the Sheetla Mata temple, on a steep stretch of Chinor Road where heavy vehicles are restricted. A paddy-laden truck coming from the Chhinor direction — carrying a Punjab registration number, officials said — broke through police barricades and a checkpoint, ran over pilgrims on the road, smashed into roadside shops and stalls, and then crashed into the temple's outer wall and entrance gate. A section of the wall on the structure's left side came down in the impact.
SSP Singh described the sequence to NDTV: "This is a tragic incident where pilgrims were travelling to Sheetla Mata Temple in large numbers. The road coming from the Chhinor side has a steep slope where heavy traffic is restricted. Around 1.30 AM, a truck loaded with paddy was stopped there. It broke through the police barricades, suddenly lost control, came down, and crashed into the outer wall and gate of the temple. The devotees who were on the road were crushed underneath it, leading to this accident."
An eyewitness whose brother was injured told NDTV: "This occurred at around 1 AM. I saw some people die on the spot. The truck was overloaded; it came suddenly and ran over some shops and people. My brother also sustained injuries. There is still chaos at the spot of the incident." Another eyewitness told ANI that the truck appeared overloaded, suddenly entered the area, ran over people and damaged shops, and that his brother was among the injured.
Brake Failure Theory and a Driver on the Run
Investigators are now examining whether the truck suffered a mechanical failure. An investigator told the Economic Times that the truck's brakes may have failed, forcing the driver to swerve left in a desperate attempt to control the vehicle. "Had it continued straight, he said, it would have ploughed into at least 600 to 700 devotees," the report said.
Collector Ruchika Chauhan confirmed that a Regional Transport Office (RTO) team has been sent to inspect the truck mechanically "to find out what issue occurred and how it veered to the left." The injured are undergoing continuous CT scans and X-rays.
The driver, however, is missing. "The truck driver fled from the spot, and police teams were searching for him," the Economic Times reported.
The Barricade Question: How Did the Truck Get In?
The hardest question for the authorities is how a heavy truck entered a restricted road at all. Barricades and a police checkpoint had been installed on the road during Navratri to regulate vehicle movement, Chauhan said — and the truck had reportedly been stopped near the barricades before breaking through and losing control.
"A stopper and a police checkpoint were present on that road during Navratri, so how the vehicle managed to get inside is a matter of investigation," Chauhan said. Asked how the truck entered the no-entry zone, acting IGP Yadav said "the lapses will be investigated."
Relatives of the victims, gathered near the post-mortem facility at Gwalior's trauma centre, were openly angry. Many questioned how a heavy truck could enter an area where, they claimed, even a bicycle could not pass. Lokendra Singh Tomar, whose aunt Sarla Tomar died in the crash, asked how the truck was allowed onto the temple premises despite the security arrangements. His aunt had been on her way to offer prayers, he told reporters, and he demanded answers from those responsible.
Victims' Families Gather at Gwalior's Trauma Centre
The human cost is coming into focus through the families now keeping vigil at hospitals across Gwalior. Pawan Rathore, 23, a resident of Gadaipur in Gwalior's Hazira area, was among those killed; his family took his body away amid inconsolable grief. He had gone to the temple to offer prayers when the accident occurred.
Sandeep, a relative of injured devotee Nikesh, said the family got a phone call around 5 AM saying Nikesh had been hurt at the temple. When they reached the hospital, he was in critical condition with both legs fractured and had been placed on a ventilator. Savitri, a relative of the deceased Divyansh, said the family realised he was missing after their group came out of the temple following prayers. They searched for him and alerted the police but could not find him at first; later they went back inside and identified him. Gajendra Prajapati said his brother-in-law, who ran a shop at the temple, was admitted to hospital after the accident — and told the family he could not comprehend what had happened, as smoke had engulfed the area.
The bodies and the injured were shifted to different hospitals, including Gwalior's trauma centre.
Why It Matters
This is the second major crowd tragedy in India in two days. On Saturday evening, a stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata killed 19 people, and a bus accident in Kota claimed eight lives earlier this week. The Gwalior crash raises the same urgent questions: how heavy vehicles are kept away from dense festival crowds, whether barricades and checkpoints are actually enforced at night, and who answers when they fail. With Navratri drawing large crowds to temples across the region, the barricade lapse here will be watched closely.
What Happens Next
Three questions remain. The RTO's mechanical inspection should establish whether brake failure — or something else — caused the truck to lose control on the slope. Police are still searching for the driver, whose account could explain the seconds before the barricade breach. And the probe into the security lapse will determine whether officials face action. The death toll, already revised three times on Sunday, may be updated again.
Key Takeaways
- The Gwalior Sheetla Mata temple truck toll has risen through Sunday morning: 14 killed and 28 injured per acting IGP Asit Yadav (to PTI), 13 dead per police officials (Mathrubhumi), 12 of 39 hospitalised dead per SSP Dharmveer Singh — the most conservative confirmed count is 12.
- The paddy-laden truck, bearing a Punjab registration number, broke through Navratri barricades on a steep, heavy-vehicle-restricted stretch of Chinor Road at around 1:30 AM Sunday.
- An investigator said the brakes may have failed and the driver swerved left; the driver fled and police are searching for him.
- A section of the temple's entrance wall collapsed; roadside shops were damaged; two on-duty police personnel were injured.
- An RTO team is conducting a mechanical inspection while a separate probe examines how the truck entered the no-entry zone.
- This is the second major crowd tragedy in India in two days, after the Kolkata Durga Puja stampede that killed 19.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people died in the Gwalior Sheetla Mata temple truck accident?
Police figures differ. Acting IGP Asit Yadav told PTI that 14 people were killed and 28 injured (Economic Times, updated 10:32 IST Sunday). Mathrubhumi English reported 13 dead and 26 injured, citing police officials. SSP Dharmveer Singh told NDTV that 12 of 39 hospitalised people had died. The conservative confirmed figure is 12, though the toll could rise.
What time did the Gwalior truck crash happen?
The crash occurred at around 1:30 AM on Sunday, October 18, 2026, outside the Sheetla Mata temple on Chinor Road in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Collector Ruchika Chauhan said ambulances were dispatched immediately after the administration received information at about 1:30 AM.
How did the truck get past the police barricades?
That is under investigation. Barricades and a police checkpoint had been set up on the road during Navratri, and SSP Singh said the truck had been stopped near the barricades before breaking through and losing control on the slope. Collector Chauhan said how the vehicle got inside "is a matter of investigation," and acting IGP Yadav said the lapses will be investigated.
What caused the truck to lose control?
An investigator told the Economic Times that the truck's brakes may have failed, forcing the driver to swerve left in a desperate attempt to control it. An RTO team has been sent to inspect the vehicle mechanically to determine whether a technical fault contributed. Eyewitnesses also said the paddy-laden truck appeared overloaded.
Has the truck driver been caught?
No. The Economic Times reported that the truck driver fled from the spot and police teams were searching for him. The truck carried a Punjab registration number, officials said. The search is running alongside the RTO's mechanical inspection and the wider probe into how the truck entered the restricted zone.
Who were the victims of the Gwalior temple crash?
Those identified so far include Sarla Tomar, whose nephew Lokendra Singh Tomar demanded answers from the authorities, and 23-year-old Pawan Rathore of Gadaipur in Gwalior's Hazira area, who had gone to offer prayers. The injured include devotee Nikesh, who is on a ventilator with both legs fractured, and a temple shopkeeper related to Gajendra Prajapati.
What is being done for the injured?
The injured were shifted to hospitals including Gwalior's trauma centre, where doctors are conducting CT scans and X-rays to guide treatment. Five to six patients are critically injured with fractures, and two police personnel hurt at the barricades are also being treated.
Sources
- The Economic Times — "Gwalior accident: 14 killed, 28 injured as truck ploughs into devotees outside temple" (updated Oct 18, 2026, 10:32 IST)
- Mathrubhumi English — "Gwalior temple tragedy: 13 devotees killed as paddy truck crashes through barricades" (updated Oct 18, 2026, 7:53 IST)
- NDTV — "12 Killed As Truck Runs Over Devotees Near Temple In Madhya Pradesh" (syndicated feed)
- GlobalDeskNews — earlier report: "Gwalior Sheetla Mata Temple Truck Crash Kills At Least 11"