Grief replaces festive mood in Khandwa village; people mourn 11 killed in immersion tragedy

Indore/Khandwa, Oct 3 (PTI) The joy of Vijayadashmi festivities in tribal-dominated Padalphata village in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district turned into unimaginable grief after a horrific accident during idol immersion killed 11 devotees, many of them children.The cries of pain resonated in the tiny village of 350 residents on Friday, just a day after residents were dancing with festive enthusiasm and throwing colours at each other.

Their joy was captured in a video which also featured the tractor trolley that would be at the centre of a cruel twist of fate a few hours later.The tragedy struck on Thursday when the tractor trolley carrying devotees overturned in a pond, killing 11 persons in the 8-25 age group, including seven girls.

Padalphata was engulfed in mourning as inconsolable parents wailed while the coffins of their children were being taken from their homes for the final rites.

"Everyone in the village is in shock following the tragedy because children have lost their lives. It feels like our future has been stolen from us," Sawan Dangode, a young man from Padalphata, told PTI during the funeral.

While paralysed by sorrow, villagers also expressed anger toward authorities, with Dangode alleging the tragedy was due to administrative negligence.

"People from 25 to 30 villages come to this pond to immerse idols of Goddess Durga. But the administration had not posted any government employee there who would alert the devotees about the depth of the pond," he said.

Khandwa District Magistrate Rishabh Gupta responded to the allegations late Thursday, saying villagers present at the site had warned the devotees about the pond's depth.

However, "excessive enthusiasm" led to the the devotees not paying heed to these warnings, Gupta said.

"They pushed the tractor trolley deeper into the water, resulting in the vehicle turning over and submerging," the district magistrate said.

The tragedy was mourned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav had earlier declared a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the victims.

Incidentally, CM Yadav, who met the families of 11 devotees at Padalphata village on Friday, instructed Gupta to construct a proper ghat in the area to avert such tragedies during immersions in future.

He also announced a reward of Rs 51,000 each to villagers who assisted in rescue operations, adding they would be felicitated during the upcoming Republic Day.

During the day, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari sought a judicial probe to determine administrative negligence in the immersion tragedy.

Patwari, who visited Padalphata and met grieving families, also said the state government must provide compensation of Rs 1 crore each to the kin of the deceased. PTI HWP MAS COR LAL SKL BNM