16 Kanwariyas Injured As SUV Ploughs Into Procession In MP’s Dhar

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As many as 16 Kanwariyas were injured, four of them seriously, after a speeding SUV ploughed into a procession of more than 200 devotees during a Kanwar Yatra in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district on Monday, police said.

The accident occurred around 3.30 pm when devotees of Lord Shiva participating in the Vijay Shri Hanuman Kanwar Yatra were travelling from Bokeshwar towards Indirama in Pithampur, an official said.

Dhar Superintendent of Police Sachin Sharma said the SUV was being driven along the side of the two-lane road when its driver panicked and suddenly ploughed into the devotees.

Twelve people sustained minor injuries, while four were seriously injured, Sharma told PTI.

According to eyewitnesses, the speeding SUV approached from behind and rammed into the devotees, triggering panic.

People at the spot caught the driver and later handed him over to the police. The vehicle subsequently caught fire, eyewitnesses said.

Asked about claims that Kanwariyas had set the SUV ablaze, Pithampur police station house officer Sunil Sharma said the circumstances were yet to be ascertained.

The vehicle skidded off the road and fell six to seven feet below, he said, adding that the matter was being investigated.

Police personnel accompanying the procession and local residents rushed to help the injured, who were taken to the civil hospital in ambulances and private vehicles.