Mini-bus carrying passengers from Madhya Pradesh to Khatu Shyam Ji falls around 15 feet near Karadiya in Rajasthan’s Kota district; rescue operations launched as authorities investigate the crash
By: News Desk | 17 October 2025
Kota/Jaipur: At least eight people were killed and 17 others injured after a passenger vehicle plunged into a deep roadside drain on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan’s Kota district on Saturday morning, according to the latest reports.
The accident occurred near Karadiya in the Simliya police station area when the vehicle, reportedly carrying passengers from Madhya Pradesh towards Khatu Shyam Ji, went out of control, broke through the roadside barrier and fell into a drain approximately 15 feet below the expressway.
The crash triggered an emergency response involving police, rescue personnel and local residents. The injured were taken to hospitals in Kota, including MBS Hospital and New Medical College Hospital, for treatment. District Collector Peeyush Samariya and Inspector General of Police Harendra Mahawar also reached the hospital to review the situation, according to NDTV.
What happened near Karadiya?
Preliminary reports indicate that the accident took place during the early morning hours, around 6 am, in the Simliya police station jurisdiction. The passenger vehicle reportedly crossed the expressway barrier before falling into the drain below.
Initial reports differed on the number of people killed and injured as rescue and hospital updates continued to emerge. By around 9:30 am, NDTV reported that eight people had died and 17 had been injured. Other early reports carried lower casualty figures, highlighting the evolving nature of the information during the initial response.
The vehicle has been described in different reports as a mini-bus or a Tempo Traveller. Reports also differ on the number of passengers it was carrying, with some accounts indicating that more than 20 people were on board. The exact passenger count should be confirmed through the police investigation.
Passengers were reportedly travelling to Khatu Shyam Ji
According to initial media reports, the passengers were travelling from Bhopal and other parts of Madhya Pradesh towards Khatu Shyam Ji, a major pilgrimage destination in Rajasthan.
Reports identified the victims as including residents of Madhya Pradesh, with several accounts referring to passengers from the Betul area. NDTV listed the deceased as Aruna, Vaishnavi, Trisha, Krishna, Anita, Om, Suryavanshi and Raju. The final identification of victims and confirmation of their family relationships remain matters for the authorities.
The journey, reportedly undertaken for religious pilgrimage, ended in tragedy for the passengers and their families. Further verified details about the victims’ ages, relationships and home addresses should be published only after confirmation from officials.
Rescue operation and hospital response
The vehicle reportedly landed in a drain after breaking through the barrier, leaving passengers trapped inside the damaged structure. Rescue teams and local residents helped evacuate those who survived the impact.
The presence of water, mud and difficult access reportedly complicated the operation. Cranes and emergency services were deployed to assist with the removal of the damaged vehicle and the evacuation of passengers. The injured were transported to hospitals in Kota, where medical teams began treatment.
The district administration’s presence at the hospitals underlined the seriousness of the accident. Authorities were expected to coordinate medical care and establish the identities of the victims while investigators examined how the vehicle left the expressway.
Did driver fatigue cause the accident?
Some preliminary reports have suggested that the driver may have dozed off while driving. Other accounts have referred to the vehicle losing control before breaking through the barrier. However, these remain preliminary explanations rather than a confirmed finding of the investigation.
Investigators will need to establish the sequence of events, including the vehicle’s speed, the driver’s condition, the condition of the vehicle and the circumstances immediately before it left the road. Mechanical failure, driver fatigue, road conditions or other contributing factors should not be presented as established causes without supporting evidence.
The investigation will also need to determine whether the vehicle was carrying passengers within its permitted capacity and whether applicable transport and safety requirements were followed.
Expressway safety under renewed scrutiny
The accident has renewed attention on safety risks along high-speed road corridors. Expressways are designed to reduce travel time and improve connectivity, but their safety depends on a combination of road engineering, vehicle condition, driver alertness, speed management and effective emergency response.
A vehicle leaving the carriageway at high speed can have devastating consequences, particularly where it falls from an elevated section into a drain or ditch. The outcome can be especially severe when several passengers are travelling together in a single vehicle.
Driver fatigue is a recognised road-safety risk because it can reduce concentration, slow reaction times and impair judgement. Long-distance journeys require adequate rest, and commercial or passenger transport operators must ensure that drivers are fit to remain behind the wheel. Nevertheless, in this particular case, the role of fatigue remains unconfirmed.
The crash also raises questions about the protection offered by roadside barriers and the design of drainage structures alongside elevated expressway sections. A proper assessment would require examination of the crash site, the barrier, vehicle damage and relevant road-safety records. The available reports do not establish that any infrastructure defect contributed to the accident.
A developing investigation
The immediate priority remains medical treatment for the injured, confirmation of the victims’ identities and support for their families. Police are investigating the circumstances of the crash, while further official details are awaited.
The reported increase in the death toll from the lower figures carried in early updates to eight underlines the importance of checking casualty information as rescue operations and hospital assessments progress.
For now, the confirmed central fact is the loss of eight lives in a serious crash on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Kota. The exact cause, the final number of injured passengers and the complete circumstances of the journey must be established through official investigation.
The tragedy is a stark reminder that on high-speed roads, a momentary loss of control can have consequences for an entire vehicle full of passengers.
