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Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday expressed grief over the deaths of devotees in a road accident near Sheetla Mata Temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and said the state government had directed officials to provide financial assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured, along with free treatment for all those injured.
In a post on X, Scindia said he was in constant touch with the Madhya Pradesh government and the minister in charge regarding the incident. The horrific accident in Gwalior is extremely painful and heart-wrenching. The untimely demise of devotees who had come for the darshan of Maa Sheetala has left my heart deeply distressed. I am in constant touch with the Madhya Pradesh government and the Minister in-charge. The state government has issued directives to provide financial assistance to the families of the deceased and the injured. Additionally, instructions have been given to ensure free treatment for all the injured, Scindia said. Expressing condolences to the bereaved families, Scindia prayed for peace for the departed souls and a speedy recovery for those injured. In this hour of grief, my deepest condolences are with the bereaved families. May Maa Jagadamba grant place at Her sacred feet to the departed souls, bestow strength upon the families to bear this unbearable sorrow, and grant swift recovery to the injured, he added. The accident occurred around 1.30 am on Sunday when a truck loaded with paddy, reportedly travelling from the Chhinor direction, lost control while descending a steep slope and crashed into devotees gathered near Sheetla Mata Temple. The truck allegedly broke through barricades and a police checkpoint before running over pilgrims and hitting the temple's outer wall and gate. The death toll rose to 14 on Sunday, Gwalior Collector Ruchika Chauhan said. The deceased include two women, two children below the age of 18 and 10 men. Three to four injured people remain critically ill, while several others have been discharged after receiving initial treatment. According to Gwalior Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmveer Singh, 39 people were taken to hospital following the accident, including two police personnel who were on duty at the spot. Both policemen were injured and are undergoing treatment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs 50,000 for each injured person. (ANI)
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