40 labourers injured after mini truck overturns in Satara district

As many as 40 labourers were injured after the mini truck in which they were travelling turned turtle near Mahabaleshwar in western Maharashtra’s Satara district on Saturday, police said

As many as 40 labourers were injured after the mini truck in which they were travelling turned turtle near Mahabaleshwar in western Maharashtra’s Satara district on Saturday, police said.

As many as 40 labourers were injured after the tempo in which they were travelling turned turtle near Mahabaleshwar in western Maharashtra’s Satara district on Saturday (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

According to police officials, the incident took place around 9 am. The driver lost control of the vehicle at Mukdev ghat near Mahabaleshwar and fell into a 300-feet deep gorge. The tempo was heading towards Tapola and was carrying 44 labourers including 11 children from Buldhana and Akola district, of these 40 were injured.

On Friday night , labourers reached Chakan in Pune from Akola and Buldhana district. From Pune they boarded the tempo and started journey towards Tapola.

Most of them suffered minor injuries and the timely intervention of locals and fire force personnel helped save lives of labourers including children. Three including two minors were critically injured and shifted to Satara for further medical treatment. The two pregnant women are stable, said police officials.

Police along with local trekkers groups immediately started rescue operations. Injured labourers were shifted to a hospital in Mahabaleshwar and Taldev hospital for further treatment.

According to police, their labour contractor got a new site and hence they were on their way to the new site in Tapola when the mishap occurred.

As per the police, the tempo might have slipped from the road while negotiating a curve and fell into the gorge. Drivers of some of the passing vehicles immediately alerted local people and police.

SK Bhagwat, senior police inspector at Mahabaleshwar police station said, “Around 40 people were injured after a tempo carrying labourers lost control and plunged into the gorge. Immediately after the incident, police and local trekkers’ groups rescued all the people and shifted them to nearby hospital for further medical treatment. As per doctors all are out of danger.’’

“We have initiated a probe in this regard and after the technical investigation will lodge a case,” added Bhagwat.