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23-year-old biker injured after being run over by water tanker in Undri
A biker was severely injured in a tanker accident in Undri, raising alarms over rising tanker-related incidents following two recent fatalities.
A 23-year-old biker was seriously injured after coming under a water tanker at Kadnagar Chowk in the Undri area on Sunday night, amplifying concerns over the rising number of tanker-related accidents in the city’s southern suburbs.
The incident took place around 9:14pm at Kadnagar Chowk near the Mohammadwadi–Undri junction. The injured biker, identified as Shahbajz Mujawar, suffered a leg fracture after his two-wheeler was trapped under the tanker’s front wheels during the collision.
Eyewitnesses said the tanker, which was reportedly taking a turn towards NIBM Road at high speed, collided with multiple vehicles before running over the bike.
A doctor present at the spot administered immediate first aid, immobilising the injured man’s leg before he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Police said timely intervention by bystanders helped prevent further complications.
Sunday’s accident occurs against the backdrop of two recent fatal tanker crashes that have shaken the city and triggered widespread outrage.
On April 5, 19-year-old Aariz Shaikh, a Class 12 student and promising footballer, was killed after being hit by a water tanker in the NIBM Annexe area. The driver was later found to be under the influence of alcohol, intensifying criticism over lax enforcement.
Just two days later, on April 7, 22-year-old engineer Gracia Daniel lost her life after a tanker struck her two-wheeler near Ganga Satellite in Wanowrie. She suffered severe injuries and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
These back-to-back fatalities have been widely seen as emblematic of a growing “tanker menace” in areas such as Undri, Mohammadwadi, Kondhwa and Wanowrie, where heavy vehicle movement has surged due to dependence on private water supply.
Residents said the latest accident reinforced the urgent need for systemic intervention. “With multiple serious accidents and two young lives lost within days, the situation has gone beyond isolated incidents. It is now a public safety crisis,” said Sunil Aiyer, director of the Mohammadwadi Undri Residents Welfare Development Forum (MURDWF).
Inspector Mansingh Patil of Kalepadal police station said that the tanker driver, identified as Digambar Vitthal Nawade (45), a resident of Kondhwa, has been arrested and owner Vivek Dattatreya Borade, a resident of Salunkhe Vihar, has been booked under BNS sections 281, 125(a), 125(b) and 324(4) and MVA Act 184, 185, 190 (2).
