Key Points
- 10–11 fatalities reported; victims include 7 children and 3–4 women, with multiple injured referred to Jaipur SMS Hospital.
- Crash occurred around 3:30–4:45am on the Dausa–Manoharpur highway near Bapi; pickup returning from Khatu Shyam and Salasar Balaji collided with a container/trailer truck.
- Passengers were residents of Etah, Uttar Pradesh; 20–23 people were onboard, several in critical condition.
- Collector Devendra Kumar and SP Sagar Rana reached the spot; rescue, referrals, and postmortems underway.
- CM Bhajanlal Sharma expressed grief and directed prompt treatment for the injured.
New Delhi: A pickup carrying devotees returning from Khatu Shyam and Salasar Balaji temples crashed into a truck on the Dausa–Manoharpur highway near Bapi in the early hours of Wednesday, resulting in at least 10 deaths on the spot, with the toll later reported as 11 after one woman succumbed at SMS Hospital, Jaipur. Police and district officials said the impact was severe, leaving the pickup mangled and several passengers trapped until locals and responders pulled them out.
Eyewitness and official accounts indicate the collision happened between 3:30am and 4:45am, with preliminary inputs noting a pickup–trailer/container crash on or near the service lane; some reports specify the pickup rammed a parked truck. Officials confirmed the victims include 7 children and 3–4 women, with passengers largely from Etah district in Uttar Pradesh.
Casualties and Injuries
Dausa District Collector Devendra Kumar said initial reports confirmed 10 deaths, with 9 injured referred to Jaipur and 3 treated at the district hospital, while subsequent updates from police and local media placed the toll at 11 after one woman died at SMS Hospital. Police and media reports also indicate 20–23 people were traveling in the pickup, with 7–8 referred to SMS Hospital and at least one in critical condition.
Official Response
Collector Devendra Kumar and SP Sagar Rana reached the site and oversaw rescue, triage, and referrals; postmortems for the deceased are in process, and hospitals have been asked to prioritize treatment for the injured. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed grief, directing the administration to ensure prompt and proper medical care for survivors.
Victims’ Background
Authorities confirmed the group hailed from Etah, Uttar Pradesh, and were returning after darshan at Khatu Shyam and Salasar Balaji when the vehicle collided on the Bapi stretch of the highway.
Scene Description and Eyewitness Notes
Local coverage and videos show damaged wreckage and emergency activity at SMS Hospital, Jaipur; visuals confirm multiple pediatric casualties and women among the deceased, underscoring the force of the pre-dawn impact and the urgency of the rescue operation.
Next Steps and Investigation
Police have begun an investigation into whether the truck was stationary in the service lane and the exact sequence leading to the crash, with a focus on vehicle condition, driver fatigue, visibility, and highway safety practices on the Dausa–Manoharpur corridor.
Safety Advisory
- Avoid night-time travel when fatigued; rotate drivers on long pilgrim routes.
- Maintain safe speeds and vigilance for parked vehicles on service lanes and shoulders.
- Use seatbelts and avoid overcrowding in pickup/passenger vehicles on highways.
