Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A massive traffic jam lasting over 24 hours near Arjun Baroda village on Indore-Dewas Highway turned deadly, claiming lives of three people trapped in bottleneck.
The jam, which began on Thursday evening, continued till late Friday night, causing chaos and raising serious questions about road and traffic management.
According to information, the primary cause of the bottleneck was ongoing highway construction work and severe water-logging due to heavy rainfall. Traffic was diverted to a narrow service lane, which led to extreme congestion and stranded vehicles for hours on end.
Among the deceased was Kamal Panchal (62), a farmer from Satellite Township, Bijalpur who was on his way to attend his sister’s condolence ceremony along with his son and daughter-in-law. The family’s car got stuck near Arjun Baroda, where Panchal reportedly began experiencing panic and shortness of breath. Panchal eventually lost consciousness and was declared dead at a private hospital in Dewas. His family alleged that no arrangements were in place to manage or clear the jam.
In a separate incident, Balram Patel (55), a cancer patient from Shujalpur, also lost his life. Patel was travelling to Indore for treatment and had two oxygen cylinders with him. One cylinder was exhausted before reaching Dewas and the second ran out during long traffic delay. Though he was rushed to Choithram Hospital, he was declared brought dead.
In another incident, Sandeep Patel (32), a resident of Gari Pipliya, reportedly suffered a heart attack and breathed his last after being stuck in traffic for hours. Local residents allege that the administration remained indifferent to the problem, with traffic police struggling to manage unending congestion. They expressed anger over lack of emergency response and massive traffic congestion.
Indore collector directs officials to ensure action at jam-prone points
At a high-level meeting held on Friday, Collector Asheesh Singh directed officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), IMC, Traffic Police, and PWD to ensure uninterrupted traffic movement across city and highway stretches during the monsoon.
“There should be immediate and visible action at jam-prone points. Coordination between departments is non-negotiable,” he told officials.
