2 dead in tempo-container crash on Mumbai-Nashik highway

The front portion of the tempo, used to carrying chickens, was completely damaged in the incident. The driver and the cleaner died on the spot after suffering severe injuries

A tempo driver and cleaner died in a road accident in the early hours on Sunday on Mumbai - Nashik highway in Maharashtra’s Thane district.

The front portion of the tempo, carrying chickens, was completely damaged in the incident. (HT Photo-Praful Gangurde)

The tempo with number plate MH 04 HD 0532 was heading towards Thane from Nashik when it rammed into a container trailer near Kharegaon, Kalwa on Mumbai - Nashik highway at around 5:40 am, the police said. The driver of the tempo, Salman Khan ,34, and cleaner Firoz Khan, 32, died at the spot.

The container driver also suffered injuries in the crash. Police and fire brigade personnel reached the accident spot with an emergency tender, one crane and two quick response vehicles.

“The front portion of the tempo, carrying chickens, was completely damaged in the incident. The driver and the cleaner died on the spot after suffering severe injuries,” said an officer of Kalwa traffic police.

“My tempo and the container was heading to Thane. The container driver applied a sudden break, owing to which my tempo collided with the container. My driver and cleaner died in the incident and around 200 chickens were lost in the incident, “ said Mohammad Ali,38, the tempo owner’s business partner.

A municipal official said that the road could be cleared of the two vehicles at around 7.15 am. The bodies were handed over to Kalwa police officials,” said Santosh Kadam, chief of Regional Disaster Management Cell (RDMC),Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).