A pilgrimage that began in Madhya Pradesh ended in tragedy on Rajasthan’s newest expressway. At least eight people were killed and more than a dozen injured early on Saturday when a minibus carrying devotees to the Khatu Shyam temple left the road on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Kota and fell into a drain.

What happened

The accident took place at around 6 to 6:30 am in the Simliya police station area, near pole number 384 on the eight-lane expressway, officials said. The minibus, carrying roughly 23 to 25 passengers, was headed from Bhopal to the Khatu Shyam temple in Rajasthan. Reports say most of those on board were members of extended families from Bhopal and Betul districts, and that elderly people and children were among them.

According to officials, the vehicle veered off the road, crashed through the expressway railing and fell about 15 feet into a culvert or drain. Police and rescue teams reached the spot quickly, and cranes were brought in to pull the badly damaged vehicle out of the ditch.

The injured

The death toll stands at eight, officials said. Between 15 and 17 people were injured, and reports say about eight of them are in critical condition. The numbers differ slightly between reports and may change. The injured were taken to MBS Hospital and the New Medical College in Kota. District Collector Piyush Samaria and Inspector General of Police Harendra Mahawar went to the hospitals to check on the injured and assess their condition. Police are informing the families of the dead and injured.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma expressed grief over the deaths.

What caused it?

The exact cause has not been established. Preliminary findings suggest the driver may have dozed off or lost control of the vehicle, with some reports saying the bus was speeding when it hit the railing. Police have begun a detailed inquiry into the circumstances, including the driver’s condition, the vehicle’s speed, and its mechanical state. These are early indications, not conclusions.

Why such crashes are a worry on expressways

Long, straight, high-speed stretches like the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway bring their own risks. Driver fatigue, particularly on early-morning and overnight runs, and excessive speed are among the factors road safety experts commonly point to on such roads. Pilgrimage routes tend to have heavy bus traffic, often with drivers who have already put in long hours. A vehicle that leaves the carriageway at speed can crash through crash barriers and land in drainage channels, as it did here.

Passengers on long journeys can do a few simple things. Ask the operator whether there are two drivers on overnight or very long trips, insist on rest stops, and speak up if the vehicle is being driven too fast.

What next

Police are expected to register a case and record statements from survivors. Post-mortems and the handing over of bodies to families will follow, and the investigation will try to establish whether fatigue, speed, or a mechanical fault was behind the crash. Officials have not yet announced any compensation.

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