Stampede, runaway truck kill 34 in Kolkata, Gwalior

At least 34 people were killed in two incidents during the celebration of Hindu religious festival in the Indian cities of Kolkata and Gwalior on Saturday and Sunday.   
A speeding truck in India killed 15 people when it ploughed into a crowd at a Hindu festival, officials said on Sunday, with President Droupadi Murmu describing the deaths as "heartbreaking".
The heavily loaded truck reportedly lost control in the early hours of Sunday and hit devotees gathered at a temple in Gwalior, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency cited hospital officials as saying 13 people had died.
"I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the swift recovery of those injured," Murmu said on social media.
India, with 1.4 billion people, recorded more than 183,000 road traffic deaths in 2025, or over 500 a day, according to the roads ministry.
Many are linked to inadequate road infrastructure, ill-maintained vehicles and exhausted drivers, according to official data.
Meanwhile, a crush at a religious festival in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata killed at least 19 people and injured dozens, local media reported on Saturday.
Durga Puja, a multi-day annual Hindu festival in the state of West Bengal, draws huge crowds to temporary structures known as pandals that house idols of the goddess Durga.
incident occurred at the exit gate in Kolkata's Girish Park area after heavy rain led to overcrowding as large numbers of devotees attempted to leave the venue, local TV said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, in a post on social media platform X, announced a compensation payment of 200,000 rupees ($2,106.15) for the next of kin of those who died and 50,000 rupees each for the injured.