At least 15 labourers, many of them women, died on Wednesday (April 29, 2026) night and more than 30 were injured after a pick-up van they were travelling in overturned and collided with a car in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, the police said.
According to the police, the accident took place around 10.30 p.m. on the Indore-Ahmedabad national highway near Chikliya bypass under Tirla police station range when the speeding van, carrying about 46 labourers, overturned.
Seven injured, including three serious patients, have been referred to Indore, Sudam Khade, Divisional Commissioner, Indore, told reporters. He said that 21 people are under treatment in Dhar, including six in private hospitals.
Manoj Kumar Singh, DIG, Indore (Rural), told The Hindu that the labourers were returning to Semlipura village near Tirla from Lebad town after the day’s work.
“The van lost control, overturned and crossed over the divider before colliding with an SUV on the other side of the highway. There were no casualties among the SUV passengers but many in the van got trapped under the vehicle,” he said.
