At least 18 people were killed and 13 others injured in multiple collisions, involving a tanker and three other vehicles in Netra village in Sumerpur region in this district this afternoon. An official spokesman said an uncontrolled tanker hit three other vehicles -a trekker, a car and an army jeep- around 1615 hrs. Most of the victims were from Prajapati-potters community, who were proceeding to Sonana Keltaji shrine in the trekker. The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital and rescue teams were working on the spot to extricate victims from the damaged vehicles. The injured included six army men. One of them was admitted to a nearby hospital while five others were taken to Jodhpur. Three injured were also referred to nearby Palampur(Gujarat) for treatment. Rajasthan Tourism and Forest Minister Bina Kak who represents Sumerpur assembly segment in the state Assembly, expressed grief over high number of casualties in the accident. Ms Kak, who was on her way to New Delhi to see her ailing daughter-in-law in a hospital,also telephoned back home in Sumerpur to inquire about the health and condition of injured. She also spoke to the Chief Minister’s office to request to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for grant of adequate exgratia to the victims. A mob of locals also held dharna at the site for sometime and also prevented post-mortem of the dead to press for demand of compensation. Later, the authorities announced exgratia of Rs one lakh to next of kin the every deceased and persuaded the people to end dharna. This also paved way for autopsy on dead bodies.
—-UNI