Van carrying devotees plunges into well in Madhya Pradesh, 11 dead including rescuer

Tragedy struck Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district on Sunday afternoon when a van carrying 13 devotees to a temple veered off the road and plunged into a well after ramming into a motorcycle, killing the biker on the spot. 

According to reports, the van, en route to the revered Aantri Mata Temple in Neemuch district, first rammed into a motorcycle, killing the biker instantly. Moments later, the vehicle veered off the road and fell into a roadside well. The violent crash led to the deaths of 10 van passengers and left four others critically injured.

Among the deceased, four were women devotees who had started their pilgrimage from Ratlam and Ujjain districts. In a heartbreaking twist, a 40-year-old local man, believed to have rushed to the scene to rescue the trapped passengers, also lost his life after reportedly inhaling poisonous gases while inside the well.

Rescue operations were swift. A Special Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) team was deployed to manage the crisis. Using a crane, authorities lifted the van from the well and pumped out nearly 8 to 10 feet of water to ensure no one was left trapped beneath the wreckage.The 4 critically injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.