At least 14 people lost their lives in separate mishaps linked to Durga Puja idol immersion ceremonies in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa and Shahdol districts on Thursday.
In Pandhana, Khandwa, tragedy struck when a tractor-trolley carrying a Durga idol and about 20–25 villagers, including many women and children, overturned into a dam-cum-pond. Eleven people drowned in the accident. The dam belongs to the state water resources department.
The incident happened around 5 pm near Jamli village under the Pandhana police station. Inspector General (Indore Rural) Anurag confirmed that 11 bodies had been recovered, and SDRF teams are still searching the waters, TNIE reported.
Three survivors remain in critical condition at a hospital, and officials fear the toll could climb further. The victims ranged in age from nine to 25 years, including six young women aged 15–25 and the youngest, a nine-year-old boy.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced ₹4 lakh ex gratia compensation for the families of the 11 deceased.
Early investigations indicate that the tractor driver may have miscalculated the depth of the dam water and attempted to descend the slope gradually, leading to the accident.
In another accident in Anjangaon village, also in Khandwa district, a DJ vehicle went out of control and rammed into a procession, killing 30-year-old Ramdev Chauhan and injuring four others. The driver fled, and enraged villagers set the vehicle ablaze.
Meanwhile, nearly 800 km away in Shahdol’s Gohparu area, two young men identified as Shubham Gond (16) and Hanumat Lal (22) drowned in the Son River while immersing idols.
Another drowning was reported from Ujjain district, where three members of one family, including a 12-year-old boy, died in the Chambal River. Officials said that while four family members were bathing, the boy accidentally started a tractor on a nearby bridge, which plunged into the river, causing the deaths.