Chhindwara, Jun 22 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed profound grief over the tragedy and announced immediate ex-gratia financial assistance to the next of kin of the deceased and to the injured. In a post on X, he stated that the road accident near Temni Khurd is extremely tragic and extended his condolences to the affected families. He directed authorities to provide ₹4 lakh each to the families of the deceased, ₹1 lakh each to the seriously injured, and ₹50,000 each to the other injured persons. However the administration has yet not released the names of those who died in the accident or critically injured persons. 

The Chief Minister prayed for peace to the departed souls and strength for the bereaved families, while wishing speedy recovery to those injured. The accident occurred on Monday morning claiming lives of five labourers in the head-on collision between an overloaded pickup truck and a truck near Temni Khurd village on the Chhindwara-Betul National Highway.  According to police, the accident occurred around 10 am mangling the pickup vehicle badly and scattering debris across the road, with its wheels blown away. Eighteen other workers sustained injuries, several of them critical. Civil Surgeon Dr Sushil Dubey confirmed that among the deceased were three women and two men, all labourers from Machhera village. 

One injured worker is in critical condition and is being referred to the Medical College in Nagpur for specialised treatment. A team of 20 to 25 doctors is attending to the injured at Chhindwara District Hospital. Police and administrative officials reached the spot immediately and are investigating the cause, including possibilities of high speed and overloading.  The truck driver has been detained for interrogation, and families of the victims have been informed. The victims were travelling in the pickup truck when the collision occurred. Officials are questioning the injured workers to ascertain the exact circumstances of the journey and the sequence of events leading to the crash. 

The district administration has assured comprehensive support, including medical care and compensation as announced, to all affected families.  As the probe continues, authorities are working to ensure that such tragedies are prevented through better road safety protocols in the future.

--IANS