Maharashtra: Seven killed, two injured in car-bike collision in Nashik district

Following collision, the Alto car fell into drain filled with water. The car was submerged and occupants were unable to get out: Police

Pune: Seven people, including a two-year-old, were killed and two others injured late Wednesday night after an Alto car and a motorcycle collided head-on near the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) area in Maharashtra’s Nashik district.

The group had gone to Nashik to attend a birthday party and were returning home. (Representative photo)

Following the collision, the Alto car fell into a drain filled with water. “The car was submerged and the occupants were unable to get out. All seven occupants in the car died on the spot,” an officer said.

Police have identified the deceased as Devidas Pandit Gangurde (28), his wife Manisha Gangurde (23), and their two-year-old son, all residents of Sarasale; Uttam Eknath Jadhav (42) and his wife Alka Jadhav (38), residents of Kosimbhe; and Dattatraya Namdeo Waghmare (45) and his wife Anusaya Waghmare (40), residents of Devpur, Devthan.

"It was a small car and the passengers were crammed into it. The tyres were worn out and one of them burst, which led to the accident. The deceased belong to Adivasi community and were returning home after birthday celebration of one of their relatives," superintendent of police (SP) Balasaheb Patil said.

The two people on the motorcycle were identified as Mangesh Yashwant Kurghade (25) and Ajay Jagannath Gond (18), both residents of Nadge Got village in Palghar district and currently living in Bhola. They were admitted to the Nashik district hospital for treatment.

The Dindori Rural Police have initiated a probe. Preliminary investigation suggested that the driver of the car had lost control.

Former municipal council president of Dindori, Kailas Maval, visited the spot and met the families of the deceased. He said that the bodies were sent for postmortem and would be handed over to their families later in the day.

“Police are examining the possibility of over-speeding, negligence, and poor road conditions as contributing factors to the accident. We will record the statements from the injured motorcyclists, which will shed more light on the sequence of events,” Dindori police inspector Raghunath Shengar said.