Fourteen people, including 10 children, drowned on Thursday evening when a tractor-trolley carrying devotees for Durga idol immersion overturned into a pond in Khandwa district.
The incident took place in Ardala village of the Pandhana area, where residents from Padlafata of Rajgarh gram panchayat had gathered for the ritual.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh | Search and rescue operation underway in the Jamli village of Khandwa, where an accident occurred during the Durga immersion ceremony. MP CM Mohan Yadav has announced Rs 4 lakh each as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased. https://t.co/5KeYyNwsIL pic.twitter.com/4qFDF2ZQB6 — ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2025
According to the TOI report, the trolley carrying 20–25 passengers lost balance and fell into a pond near a culvert. Police, local authorities, and residents quickly launched rescue operations to pull out the vehicle.
10 bodies had been recovered, but officials warned the death toll could rise as some people were still missing.
#WATCH | Khandwa, MP | SP Khandwa Manoj Kumar Rai says, “….The trolley overturned and 14 people drowned and 10 bodies have been recovered” https://t.co/7pT0Q9Mvu2 pic.twitter.com/asAxihGzDt — ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2025
“The trolley overturned and 14 people drowned and 10 bodies have been recovered,” ANI quoted SP Khandwa Manoj Kumar Rai as saying.
Locals said more victims might be trapped underwater.
Madhya Pradesh CM Reacts
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the loss of lives, announced a compensation of 4 lakh rupees for the families of the deceased, and assured proper medical treatment for the injured.
Chief Minister Yadav said in a post on X, “The accidents that occurred during the Durga immersion ceremony in Jamli village of Khandwa and the Ingoria police station area near Ujjain are extremely tragic. I express my condolences to the bereaved families. Instructions have been given to provide Rs 4 lakh each as compensation to the next of kin of the deceased, and to provide proper treatment to the injured at the nearest hospital. I pray to Goddess Durga for the speedy recovery of all the injured and for strength to the bereaved families.”
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