A woman warkari (pilgrim) was killed and 10 others were injured when a speeding container truck rammed into a “dindi”, a group of warkaris, near Darshan Dhaba on the old Pune Mumbai Highway at Kamshet on Tuesday morning. The pilgrims were on their way from Uran–Panvel to the temple town of Alandi in Pune district.
The deceased has been identified as Priyanka Prabhakar Tandel, 54, from Uran in Raigad district.
According to the complaint filed by Hari Shankar Patil, 58, from Uran and brother of the deceased, the incident occurred around 6.30am when the warkaris were crossing the highway. The driver of the container truck bearing registration number MH46BU4172 coming from the Pune side reportedly driven at high speed lost control due to slope at Kamshet Ghati and hit a parked autorickshaw (MH02FL9733) before plowing into the pilgrim group. The impact fatally injured Priyanka, who was dragged several metres and died on the spot.
The injured warkaris include Aparna Ananta Thakur, 42; Hirabai Poshya Patil, 62; Sharda Nitin Thakur, 51; Kamini Dattatray Gandhi, 30; and Dattatray Vishnu Bharat, 65 from Raigad. The rickshaw driver Ashok Payappa Gandhale, 30, from Andheri West and passengers Tanaji Punaji Hemade, 27; Nandu Appa Chopde, 55; and Dnyandev Nivrutti Gade 57 from Maval were also hurt.
The Injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital. The protest staged by angry warkaris and locals seeking the arrest of the truck driver disrupted traffic at the highway.
{{/usCountry}}The Injured were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital. The protest staged by angry warkaris and locals seeking the arrest of the truck driver disrupted traffic at the highway.
{{/usCountry}}Shankar Patil, inspector, Kamshet Police Station, said, “We have detained the truck driver identified as Chandrashekhar Ramankat.”
Kamshet Police have registered a case the container driver under Sections 105, 281, 125(a), 125(b), 324(4)(6) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 184, 134/177 of the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA).