A cement-laden truck went out of control and rammed into a Shiva temple in Paprenga village under the Unchehra police station area of Satna district on Sunday evening, killing the truck cleaner while the driver fled the scene.
The incident occurred at around 5 pm when a bulker truck carrying loose cement from Maihar to Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh diverted towards Paprenga village after the cleaner stopped to eat at his home. Near the Shiva temple, the truck became uncontrollable and crashed into the structure, severely damaging the vehicle’s cabin and trapping the cleaner inside.
The deceased was identified as 35-year-old Jitendra Kol, a resident of Paprenga village, who was travelling in the truck with the driver. Due to the force of the impact, the cabin was badly mangled, and it took nearly three hours for villagers and authorities to retrieve his body.
After the collision, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled. Villagers informed the police, following which two heavy cranes were deployed to remove the truck from the temple premises and shift it to the roadside. The temple sustained substantial damage in the crash.
On receiving news of the accident, Jitendra Kol’s father, Jaikaran Kol, suffered a deterioration in health and was admitted to the district hospital. The family has three sons, one of whom had died prematurely a few years earlier.
Local administration officials inspected the site and began assessing the damage caused to the temple. Police said a search has been launched for the absconding driver and that a detailed investigation is underway. Necessary legal action will be initiated against the truck owner and the driver, officials added.
