BHOPAL: Two dead and thirteen injured after a truck ploughed into a crowd and multiple vehicles on Indore’s Airport Road on Monday evening.
According to eyewitnesses, the truck struck several people and vehicles indiscriminately. One person died on the spot after his motorcycle became trapped under the truck and caught fire due to friction, which quickly spread and engulfed the truck itself.
The identities of the deceased are yet to be formally confirmed, though police sources said one victim may be a private university faculty member, whereas the other victim's identity are yet to be found with the help of his clothes and other belongings
While the police claimed that the truck caught fire possibly due to multiple hits, unconfirmed reports suggested that angry residents may have set it afire.
Police and fire brigade teams rushed to the spot to bring the blaze under control and carry out rescue operations. The injured were shifted to Bhatia and Geetanjali hospitals, with local residents also pitching in to help.
"The truck, which was loaded with packaging material, was actually destined for Polo Ground. It will be probed how it actually came speeding on the Airport-Bada Ganpati Road. The driver of the truck has been detained and the truck’s owner too will be made a co-accused in the case,” additional commissioner of police (ACP-Indore Law and Order) Amit Singh said.
He also ruled out the possibility of the truck having been set ablaze by angry residents. “The pattern of the fire in the truck’s front portion suggests that the blaze could actually have been triggered due to multiple vehicle hits," he said.
Authorities are probing the exact cause of the accident and working to ascertain the exact number of casualties.
A senior police official said, “It will also be probed how the truck entered the no-entry area.”
According to sources, the truck driver was possibly drunk while driving the heavy vehicle. He is being taken for a medical examination.
Taking serious note of the violation, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, who is also Indore district’s guardian minister, ordered a probe into how the truck entered the city during restricted hours. “The state’s additional chief secretary (home) has been sent to Indore for proper inspection and probe,” the chief minister posted on X, while condoling the deaths.
Urban development and housing minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, also a local MLA, said, “At least 15 people were injured in the incident, out of which two succumbed to injuries, while two to three are stated critical. The injured have been admitted at three different hospitals, and the government will fund the entire treatment.” Police sources warned the toll could rise further as several victims remain critical.