Rajasthan: 18 dead as tempo traveller crashes into trailer in Phalodi (PHOTO: X)
A devastating crash shook the Matoda area of Phalodi, Rajasthan, early Sunday morning. At least 18 people died and several others suffered serious injuries after a Tempo Traveller packed with pilgrims slammed into a parked trailer.
The group, mostly from the Mali community in Sursagar, Jodhpur, was heading home after visiting the Kolayat temple in Bikaner.
It all happened just before dawn. Police said the Tempo Traveller was speeding back toward Jodhpur when it failed to spot a trailer left on the roadside near Matoda village. The crash crushed the front of the van, leaving a tangled mess of metal and trapping people inside. Witnesses described how fog and low visibility made things worse. Locals and passing drivers scrambled to pull victims from the wreck before emergency crews arrived.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma called the accident heartbreaking and checked in with top officials right away. He told them to rush the injured to hospitals using a green corridor and make sure they got the best care possible.
Rescue teams spent hours at the scene, pulling bodies and survivors from the wreckage. Eighteen people died instantly. Three or four more were badly hurt. First responders took the injured to a nearby clinic, then transferred them to hospitals in Jodhpur for more treatment.
Police have opened an investigation. Their early findings point to careless parking and a lack of reflective signs on the trailer as major reasons for the crash.
The state government pledged support for the victims and ordered a full inquiry. Rajasthan Chief Minister Rekha Gupta offered condolences and said every possible effort would go toward helping the injured and getting to the bottom of what happened.
This accident has put a harsh spotlight back on Rajasthan’s dangerous highways. People from Matoda said trucks and trailers often park along dark stretches of road, turning them into death traps. Now, officials are trying to track down the owner and driver of the trailer, who both vanished after the crash.
It’s one of the worst road tragedies the region has seen this year. The message is clear: Rajasthan needs to crack down on unsafe roads and reckless parking before more lives are lost.
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