Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday ordered an investigation into the Gwalior accident in which 14 people were killed after a truck ploughed into devotees outside a temple. He also announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the families of the deceased.
"The accident occurred because the truck entered a prohibited area," Yadav told reporters in Indore.
A speeding truck ran over several devotees outside the Sheetla Mata temple in Gwalior district early Sunday and then rammed into its entrance gate, killing 14 persons and injuring 28 others, police said.
A wall of the temple crashed under the impact of the collision, they said.
The incident, which occurred around 1.30 am outside the temple near a slope on Chinor Road, raised concerns about security arrangements at the shrine, as the truck, with a Punjab registration number, entered the no-entry zone, officials said.
The chief minister paid tributes to those killed in the incident and said he had directed the district administration to conduct a fact-based inquiry and submit a report.
He announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the kin of the deceased and said the government would bear the treatment expenses of those seriously injured in the accident. The persons who suffered minor injuries would receive financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each, he added.
(With inputs from PTI)
