Madhya Pradesh crash: 12 killed, several critical after pickup truck overturns on highway

A pickup truck carrying around 35 labourers lost control and overturned on the Indore- Ahmedabad National Highway in Dhar district on Wednesday night. It then collided with an SUV, leaving 12 dead, including at least three children.

The accident occurred around 8.30 pm near Chikhalia Phata in Tirla area. The spot is about 40 km west of Indore and 250 km southwest of Bhopal. 12 injured are critical, with 10 shifted to Indore for advanced treatment.

The crash

According to the report of Times of India, Dhar Superintendent of Police Mayank Awasthi said the truck "overturned three to four times before skidding onto the opposite side and crashing into an SUV". The impact left the pickup severely damaged. At the scene, injured survivors cried for help as locals rushed to assist before emergency teams arrived.

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The highway was blocked for several hours while debris was cleared. Police have launched a probe into alleged driver negligence and overloading. Officials are examining whether overcrowding, speeding, or a mechanical fault caused the driver to lose control. The driver's condition had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.

Rescue and medical response

The crash triggered panic as grief-stricken families crowded the hospital searching for missing relatives. Deepak Meda confirmed his sister Sunita and niece were among those killed, with another relative still unaccounted for. Dr Chhatrapal Singh of Dhar district hospital warned that the death toll could rise given the severity of injuries.

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In-charge Collector Abhishek Chaudhary and SP Awasthi both reached the hospital to oversee the response. Chaudhary said the injured remaining in Dhar were stable, while those transferred to Indore were under observation.

Officials confirmed they were coordinating with the Indore administration, as reported by Times of India.

Government response

Narendra Modi expressed grief over the deaths. He announced ₹2 lakh ex gratia for each deceased’s next of kin. ₹50,000 was announced for each injured person. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed condolences and announced ₹4 lakh for families of the deceased. ₹1 lakh was declared for the critically injured. ₹50,000 was announced for other injured persons. He also directed free treatment for all injured.

Residents say overloaded pickups are common in the area. Often used to transport workers to farms, factories, and construction sites at dawn and dusk.