Overview
- Relatives withdrew a highway blockade after officials assured Rs 10 lakh for each deceased, Rs 2 lakh for the seriously injured, and Rs 1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
- Police say eight injured are being treated at Jabalpur Medical College, with two reported in critical condition.
- The victims were 13 women from Mandla working on an NHAI road project who were struck during a roadside lunch near Ekta Chowk around 2 p.m.
- Investigators seized the vehicle, described as a white car without a number plate, detained owner Deepak Soni, and named his brother Lakhan Soni as the alleged driver.
- Officials earlier issued differing statements on fatalities and compensation, including a minister’s Rs 2 lakh ex gratia post for four deaths, as protesters accused lax safety standards.