Gujarat musicians returning from Varanasi temple crash in MP

India Aug 16, 2025

Four musicians from Gujarat died after their mini-bus collided head-on with a truck early Saturday morning on National Highway 46 in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district.
The group of 17 was heading home after performing at a Shiv Katha event at Varanasi's Kashi Vishwanath temple.

Mini-bus driver lost control, say police

The musicians, from Mehsana and Surendranagar districts, had just wrapped up supporting storyteller Lankesh Babu at the religious ceremony.
Police say the mini-bus driver lost control and veered into the wrong lane, leading to the crash.
Singer Hardik Dave (37) died instantly; Raja Thakur (28), Ankit Thakur (17), and Rajendra Solanki (47) passed away during treatment.
Eleven or 12 others are still hospitalized as investigations continue.