At least five persons were killed and 42 others injured when a bus carrying pilgrims hit a tractor on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, police said on Tuesday.
They said the bus was ferrying 54 'warkaris' (devotees of Lord Vitthal) from their hometown Dombivli in Thane district near of Maharashtra to Pandharpur for the Ashadhi Ekadashi celebrations.
Visuals From Accident Site
The accident took place at around midnight near Panvel in Navi Mumbai, an official said. While on the expressway, the speeding bus hit the tractor. Three passengers from the bus and two from the tractor were killed, DCP Vivek Pansare said, adding that a woman was among the deceased.
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After hitting the tractor, the bus rammed into an expressway barricade and fell into a 20-foot-deep gorge, the official said. The injured pilgrims were rushed to a private hospital for treatment. Seven of them were in serious condition, he said.
Ashadhi Ekadashi will be celebrated on Wednesday. Lakhs of warkaris undertake the pilgrimage every year to Pandharpur, where they converge on the Ashadhi Ekadashi from all parts of Maharashtra.
Due to the fatalities caused by this incident, a complaint has been filed against the deceased driver of tractor number MH-11-BZ-2286 , and a case has been registered based on the complainant's statement.
The complainant, Mr. Abhimanyu Mahadev Joshi, 67, from Dombivli West, reported the incident. Panvel city police station have registered sections 281, 125 A , 125 B, 106 (1) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita and section 184 Motor Vehicles Act.
In the early hours of July 16, 2024, a tragic accident occurred on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, resulting in five fatalities and numerous injuries. The incident took place between 00:30 and 00:45 AM when a bus (MH-02-FG-9966) en route from Dombivli to Pandharpur collided with a tractor (MH-11-BZ-2286) that was operating on the expressway.The bus, carrying 54 passengers including the driver, had departed from Dombivli around 10:30 PM on July 15, 2024, for a pilgrimage to Pandharpur. The collision occurred when the the tractor collided, which was not permitted on the expressway.
Among the deceased are three bus passengers:1.Gurunath Bapu Patil, 70, from Narivaligaon2.Ramdas Narayan Mukadam, 70, from Nevaligaon3.Smt. Hausabai Hari Patil, 65, from Niljepada, DombivliTwo unidentified individuals on the tractor, including the driver, also lost their lives in the accident.
Approximately 43 other passengers suffered injuries ranging from minor to severe and were rushed to nearby hospitals, including MGM Hospital in Kamothe and the sub-district hospital in Panvel. Emergency services responded promptly, with 12 to 15 ambulances dispatched to the scene.
Senior police officials from Panvel City Police Station, along with other authorities, visited the accident site. The police have registered a case against the unidentified tractor driver for causing death by negligence and violating traffic rules.
A detailed investigation is underway, including a thorough examination of the accident site. Local administration offices, including the District Collector's office in Alibaug and the Tehsil office in Panvel, have been notified of the accident. Further updates on the condition of the injured and the progress of the investigation are expected as the situation develops.