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Kota accident: Chief Secretary orders probe and barrier test after 8 die on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway

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The Kota accident on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, which killed eight people on 17 October, will get a detailed inquiry, Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas ordered at a Secretariat review in Jaipur on 18 October 2026, the state’s DIPR said. He said responsibility must be fixed if negligence is found at any level. He also ordered a technical test of the crash barrier at the site.

Kota accident: Chief Secretary V. Srinivas reviewing the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway crash at the Secretariat in Jaipur
Chief Secretary V. Srinivas reviewing the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway crash at the Secretariat in Jaipur Photo: DIPR Rajasthan (official handout, free to use with credit).

What happened in the Kota accident

A tempo traveller carrying pilgrims to the Khatu Shyam temple broke through the lane barrier early on Saturday and fell into a drain beside the expressway in Kota district, the review was told. Eight people died and 16 were injured, according to the DIPR release; news reports put the injured at 15 to 17. The Hindu, citing police, said the eight dead were relatives from Ghatbiroli village in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district. Hindustan Times reported that about 25 people were on board, four died on the spot and four on the way to hospital. The injured were taken to the New Medical College Hospital and MBS Hospital in Kota. NHAI said in a post on X that preliminary information pointed to high speed in the overtaking lane and a driver who apparently dozed off.

Key Facts

  • Crash: 17 Oct 2026, early morning, Kota district
  • Deaths: 8; injured: 16 (DIPR)
  • Vehicle: tempo traveller with pilgrims bound for Khatu Shyam
  • Orders: detailed probe, barrier test, NHAI camera link to police
  • MP aid: Rs 4 lakh per victim’s family

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: barrier test, cameras and ambulance response

Srinivas asked the Kota collector about the crash and checked how quickly ambulances and police reached the scene. He ordered better coordination between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the police and the 108 ambulance service so help arrives faster. He told officials to link NHAI cameras on highways and expressways with local police stations and the Abhay Command Centre for monitoring and quicker alerts. If the barrier at the site does not meet the set standards, action must follow, he said. Additional Chief Secretary (PWD) Praveen Gupta, DG (Traffic) Malini Agarwal and transport, NHAI and road safety officials attended, with the Kota administration joining by video.

Officials study expressway layouts during the road safety review
Officials study expressway layouts during the road safety review Photo: DIPR Rajasthan (official handout, free to use with credit).

Care for the injured and what comes next

The chief secretary asked the principal of Kota Medical College about the injured and ordered proper, free treatment for all of them as per rules. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, the Kota MP, met the injured and asked the Kota collector and police chief to form a special committee to examine the crash, Hindustan Times reported. Birla said a road safety study of the expressway is under way, with a final review in November to fix accident-prone stretches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced Rs 4 lakh for each victim’s family, The Hindu reported.

Why It Matters: The orders test whether expressway barriers, cameras and ambulance links can cut deaths on one of India's fastest roads, which runs through Rajasthan.

Also on TrendDesh: Rajasthan Sampark Helpline 181: CM Bhajanlal Sharma takes complaints in person · NFSA Rajasthan survey: door-to-door checks until December to add needy families, remove ineligible ones

Source: DIPR Rajasthan (Chief Secretary review) · The Hindu (PTI) · Hindustan Times · NDTV

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