Daijiworld Media Network - Indore
Indore, Jun 28: A relentless 32-hour traffic jam on the Indore-Dewas highway brought vehicular movement to a grinding halt on Friday, leaving over 4,000 vehicles stranded across an 8-kilometre stretch and resulting in the tragic deaths of three individuals. The incident has drawn sharp criticism over administrative failures in traffic management.
According to police and local reports, the congestion — caused by road diversions and inadequate planning near a bridge construction site — proved fatal for three people, each unable to receive timely medical help due to the massive gridlock.
One of the victims, 62-year-old farmer Kamal Panchal from Bijalpur in Indore, was travelling with his family to attend his sister’s post-funeral ritual. His vehicle was caught near Arjun Baroda village. As traffic remained unmoved for over 90 minutes, Kamal suffered a health emergency. His family managed to get him to a hospital in Dewas only after the jam cleared, but he was declared dead on arrival.
In another heartbreaking case, Sandeep Patel, 32, a resident of Gari Pipalya, was being urgently transferred to Indore after complaining of severe chest pain. Referred from Mangalia for higher medical care, his ambulance became stuck near Talavli Chanda and Dewas Naka for nearly three hours. He died during the delay, likely due to a heart attack.
The third victim, Balram Patel, 55, a cancer patient from Shujalpur, died after both his onboard oxygen cylinders failed while trapped in the traffic. Despite carrying two cylinders, his family couldn't secure assistance as the vehicle remained motionless for over two hours. Even after Balram’s death, the family, while transporting his body, was delayed for another hour in the same jam.
Public anger has been swift and vocal. Dewas Congress District President Manoj Rajani has demanded immediate administrative accountability. In a letter to Indore Collector Ashish Singh, he called for halting toll collection and prioritising the construction of a service road before completing the main overbridge.
Top officials, including Divisional Commissioner Deepak Singh and Collector Ashish Singh, held an emergency review meeting with local authorities to assess the situation and prevent future mishaps.
The incident has highlighted the urgent need for better traffic planning and infrastructure readiness, especially during ongoing construction projects — a lapse that, in this case, has cost lives.