As many as 12 people died and 13 others were grievously injured after an overloaded pickup truck turned turtle in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district late Wednesday night, the police said. Authorities said they launched a rescue operation soon after.

According to police, the road mishap occurred at around 8:30 pm near a petrol pump along a dimly lit stretch of highway, when the vehicle, ferrying 35 labourers, lost control and flipped multiple times. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and devastation as the ones on board were thrown off balance and were trapped beneath the wreckage.

Several children lose lives

The police said that some of the ones who died in the accident were children, drawing widespread grief from the local community. The victims, as per authorities, were travelling together for work-related purposes when the accident unfolded.

Immediately after the crash, the locals, along with police teams, rushed to the scene. The rescue operation was launched under challenging conditions and the bystanders helped pull injured passengers from the mangled vehicle before ambulances rushed them to nearby medical facilities.

Injured hanging between life and death

The doctors at the Dhar district hospital said that at least 13 persons have sustained grievous injuries in the incident, and remain in critical condition. They added that some of them are reeling under life-threatening injuries. Meanwhile, the emergency medical teams are working round the clock to stabilise them.

Officials aware of the development said that the number of casualties could change, depending on the condition of those receiving treatment.

Excessive speed, overloading suspected to be primary cause

A preliminary probe carried out by the authorities suggests that overloading and overspeeding may have caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle, resulting in the devastating crash. The pickup truck was allegedly carrying passengers far more than its permitted capacity, raising questions over compliance with transport regulations.

PM Modi expresses grief, announces ex-gratia

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi expressed immense sorrow over the loss of lives and announced financial assistance for the families of the victims. He conveyed condolences to the bereaved and wished a speedy recovery to the injured persons.

He said an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh shall be disbursed to the next kin of each deceased from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, while the injured passengers would receive Rs 50,000 each.

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