New Delhi: A 28-year-old woman lost her life and sixteen other people were injured in a ropeway trolley crash in Chhattisgarh. The incident occurred on Sunday morning at the famous Khallari Temple when the cable of a ropeway trolley carrying devotees snapped suddenly during Navratri ongoing.
According to the reports, the incident took place at 10 am. A large crowd of devotees was gathered at the temple during the ongoing Navratri. After visiting the temple, pilgrims were descending through a ropeway troley when the main cable suddenly snapped. The woman who died was Ayushi Satkar from Raipur.
The trolley fell uncontrollably and overturned which resulted in chaos. The Bagbahra Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Namita Markole said, “The trolley, which was carrying devotees returning from the Khallari Mata temple, plunged from a height of around 200–300 feet.”
Rope Way to Khallari mata mandir breaks in chattisgarh.1 dead,10 grievously injured.pic.twitter.com/pRog0mLe59
— SDutta (@KhelaHobePart2) March 22, 2026
The famous Khallari Mata Temple is located on the hilltop of Khallari village which is 25km south of Mahasamund. Every year during the Kwar and Chaitra Navaratris, a large number of devotees visit the temple and they need to clim 800 stairs to reach the hilltop. On the fiull day of the Chaitra month an annual fair is also organised for the people visiting pilgrimage site. It is believed that the Pandavas visited the hilltop during their journey in Mahabharata era.
Immediate medical response
The injured devotees immediately rushed to a hospital, where four patients were referred to Raipur due to their critical condition. Following the incident, another trolley that had begun ascending was immediately brought back to the base. There were 10 passengers in that trolley who felt the strong jolt but no major issues were reported to them.
Questions raised over administrative negligence
The accident caused chaos within the temple complex. Police and district administration teams rushed to the scenes after receiving information and began the rescue operations. The incident has raised questions over the ropeway maintenance.
The ropeway service has been suspended immediately and CM Vishnu Deo Sai has ordered a detailed investigation into the matter. He extended condolences to the family and called the accident “extremely tragic and painful.”
A similar incident occurred last year when a BJP leader was injured when a ropeway trolley crashed in Rajnandgaon district near the Bamleshwari Devi hill.