A tragic incident occurred on Thursday evening in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, where eleven people drowned after a tractor-trolley overturned in a pond during Durga idol immersion. The event took place in Ardala village, within the Pandhana area, where residents of Padlafata, part of the Rajgarh gram panchayat, had gathered for the immersion ritual.

The tractor-trolley, carrying approximately 30 devotees and Durga idols, lost balance and toppled into the deep water while reversing in the pond. According to Khandwa District Magistrate Rishav Gupta, villagers present at the site had cautioned the devotees about the depth of the lake, but their warnings were unheeded due to over-enthusiasm. This led to the vehicle moving further into the water, causing it to overturn and sink.

Khandwa DIG Siddharth Bahuguna confirmed that among the deceased were seven girls and four boys, including eight minors. The deceased have been identified as Aarti (18), Dinesh (13), Urmila (16), Sharmila (15), Ganesh (20), Kiran (16), Palli Bai (25), Rev Singh (13), Ayush (9), Sangeeta (16) and Chanda (8).

Immediate rescue operations were launched, involving the police, administration, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Home Guards, and local divers. A JCB machine was also deployed to lift and pull the overturned trolley out of the water. 10 to 12 devotees were rescued from the lake, with three of them admitted to the hospital. One remains critical, while the other two are out of danger.

Authorities have expressed their condolences to the families of the victims. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the loss of lives and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences and announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased, and Rs 50,000 would be given to the injured.

Eyewitnesses reported chaos at the site as the vehicle plunged into the pond, with people frantically searching for their relatives. A large crowd of villagers gathered at the spot, many joining the rescue efforts. Officials mentioned that a local kotwar had cautioned the driver against taking the vehicle into the water body, but the warning was ignored. It is believed that the trolley likely hit a stone while reversing, causing it to overturn and throw all occupants into the pond.