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10 killed as luxury bus enroute to Shirdi collides with truck in Nashik
Most of the victims, from Ambernath, Ulhasnagar and Badlapur areas of Thane district, were workers of a packaging firm and their families
Ten people were killed and 12 others injured after the bus they were travelling in collided head-on with a truck near Vavi Pathare village on the Nashik – Shirdi highway on Friday morning.
Most of the victims, from Ambernath, Ulhasnagar and Badlapur areas of Thane district, were workers of a packaging firm and their families.
According to the police, the bus was carrying pilgrims to the Shirdi Saibaba Temple from different places in Thane district. The bus was carrying around 45 passengers when the accident took place around 7 am, police said. Of the 12 injured, five are critical and admitted to the ICU of Yashwant Hospital in Sinnar.
Police officials said the accident left both the vehicles wrecked with the front cabin of the truck a mangled heap and the bus cut open along one side.
The police have identified seven of the deceased as Diksha Gondhali, Pratiksha Gondhali, Shravan Baraskar, Naresh Ubale, Vaishali Naresh Ubale and Balaji Krushna Mohanti (bus driver).
“Naresh and Vaishali were husband and wife and their nine-year-old daughter is recuperating at a private hospital. We have been organising the religious tour for the past three decades and it is for the first time that such an incident has taken place,” said Kishore, the elder brother of Naresh.
“The deceased include six women, two children, and two men. The injured are admitted to Sinnar Rural Hospital and Yashwant Hospital,” said Nashik Rural SP Shahji Umap.
Suresh Rathod, a survivor, said, “The driver was told twice to reduce speed, but he ignored the passengers’ pleas. I was sitting on the second last seat and the inside lights of the bus was switched off when the accident took place. The passengers had to break open the glass panes to save themselves.”
As per the state highway control room officials, one side of the two-lane Sinnar-Shirdi stretch of the road had been closed for some work near the accident spot.
District guardian minister Dada Bhuse said that Laxminarayan Printing and Packaging Industry located in Ambernath MIDC had organised the religious tour for its staff and family members and had hired 15 buses.
“The bus that collided with the truck was marked number 5. We are offering assistance to the survivors and their families,” he said.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the state government will bear expenses of the treatment of the injured persons, a statement from his office said.
Shinde spoke to the Nashik divisional commissioner and asked him to shift the injured immediately to Nashik and Shirdi for treatment and also conduct an inquiry into the causes of the accident, it added.
Offering condolence
President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said the loss of lives in the road accident on the Nashik-Shirdi highway in Maharashtra is deeply distressing and conveyed her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. She also wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the crash and announced an ex-gratia of ₹2 lakh from the PM National Relief Fund to the next-of-kin of each deceased. The injured would be given ₹50,000 each, the PMO tweeted.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde offered his condolences to the bereaved and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to next of kin of the deceased. The CMO has also ordered a probe into the incident by MSRTC authorities and the Nashik rural police.
The deceased
Pramila Prakash Gondhali (45), Ambernath
Vaishali Naresh Ubale (32), Ambernath
Shravani Suhas Baraskar (30), Ambernath
Shraddha Suhas Baraskar (4), Ambernath
Naresh Manohar Ubale (38), Ambernath
Balaji Krushna Mohanti (35), Ambernath
Diksha Santosh Gondhali (18), Kalyani.
Pratiksha Gondhali (21), Ambarnath
The injured (critical)
Varsharani Behra (31)
Yogita Sandesh Wadkar (30)
Mayuri Mahesh Bait (23)
Shrutika Santosh Gondhali (42)
Ranjan Prabhkar Patole (40)
With agency inputs
