Eighteen people were killed in a spate of road accidents across Rajasthan on November 5, as multiple collisions involving dumpers, trucks, and private vehicles turned highways in at least five districts into disaster zones. The accidents have reignited concerns over road safety, reckless driving by heavy vehicles, and weak enforcement mechanisms, even as a state minister controversially attributed the tragedies to “planetary alignments.”
The deadliest incidents occurred in Jaipur district, where two separate crashes involving dumpers left multiple victims dead. On Phagi Road, a speeding dumper ran over a pedestrian, killing him instantly. In another case on Sirsi Road, a dumper driver, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, rammed into an auto-rickshaw, resulting in fatalities and serious injuries. These crashes came barely days after a massive tragedy in Harmada, where 14 people were crushed to death when a dumper ploughed into a crowd.
In the Pali district, a Scorpio lost control after jumping a road divider and collided head-on with a mini truck. The impact caused the SUV to burst into flames, killing the driver before rescuers could reach him. Another collision on the Sojat Highway (NH-162) saw a dumper slam into a trailer from behind, trapping the dumper driver inside his mangled cabin until locals intervened to pull him out.
In Dholpur, three pedestrians were run over by a dumper near Maniya police station, while in Jhunjhunu, a trailer driver, allegedly drunk at the wheel, hit a tractor-trolley and later rammed into a car in Nawalgarh town, triggering panic in the crowded market area. A separate incident in Surajgarh left a woman seriously injured when a Thar SUV struck her as she stepped out of a shop.
Meanwhile, additional mishaps were reported from Jodhpur, where a cylinder explosion claimed 11 lives, and Jaisalmer, where an army tank was damaged after making contact with an overhead electric line.
Responding to the spate of accidents, Rajasthan minister Jogeshwar Garg sparked outrage with his remarks suggesting astrological causes behind the tragedies. “According to astrological knowledge, dumper drivers have become intoxicated due to planetary influences, and the police and transport department have become ineffective for the same reasons,” Garg told reporters. He added, “On a single day in five districts, four to five dumpers were on the move, crushing people like insects. Who knows how many more will be crushed?”
The minister’s comments drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders and citizen groups, who accused him of trivialising systemic failures in road management and enforcement.
Police officials confirmed that investigations are underway in all reported cases, with several dumper drivers detained and their vehicles impounded. Authorities also said they are reviewing the issuance of heavy-vehicle permits and will conduct alcohol testing for commercial drivers in high-risk zones.
Despite repeated accidents and calls for reform, Rajasthan continues to record one of the highest rates of fatal road crashes in India, with dumpers and trucks involved in a large share of deaths — a grim reminder of the state’s deepening road safety crisis.
