At least eight pilgrims were killed and several others injured when a tempo traveller carrying devotees from Madhya Pradesh plunged nearly 20 feet into a seasonal drain on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan’s Kota district on Saturday.
The accident occurred around 7 a.m. near the Simliya police station area when the vehicle, carrying around 20 passengers mostly from Betul district, broke through a divider and crashed into a drain wall.
Four passengers died on the spot, while three others succumbed to injuries en route to the hospital. The group had left on Friday night for the Khatu Shyam temple in Sikar.
Police suspect the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. NHAI rescue teams, police, and locals retrieved the injured, who were admitted to New Hospital and MBS Hospital in Kota.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed deep grief over the tragic loss of life and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
