11 dead, including 7 girls, after tractor carrying idols overturns in Madhya Pradesh lake

Eleven devotees, among them seven young girls, drowned on Thursday when a tractor-trolley carrying Durga idols for immersion overturned and plunged into a lake in Khandwa district, officials confirmed.

The accident occurred in the Pandhana area during Vijayadashami celebrations marking the conclusion of the Navdurga festival. Eyewitnesses said the tractor, packed with around 30 people along with the idols, tilted and slipped into deep water despite warnings from villagers about the lake’s depth.

Khandwa District Magistrate Rishav Gupta said a joint rescue operation was immediately launched with the help of police, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Home Guards, local divers and villagers.

“The bodies of 11 devotees have been recovered. Ten to twelve others were rescued, of whom three are receiving treatment for injuries,” Gupta said.

Superintendent of police Manoj Kumar Rai confirmed that seven of the victims were girls. Pandhana Sub-Divisional Magistrate Deeksha Bhagore identified the deceased as Aarti (18), Urmila (16), Sharmila (15), Kiran (16), Patli (25), Sangeeta (16), Chanda (8), Dinesh (13), Ganesh (20), Revsingh (13) and Ayush (9).

Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as relatives and villagers desperately tried to pull people from the water before emergency teams arrived. A large crowd later gathered at the spot, with many locals joining the rescue efforts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, calling the tragedy “deeply saddening”. In a message on X, he said his thoughts were with the bereaved families and announced financial support of Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund for the next of kin of those who died, and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav also conveyed his grief and announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the families of each victim.

Officials said investigations into the incident are under way, while survivors are being provided with medical assistance.

Including agency inputs