3 killed, 1 hurt in accident near Mumbai on Nashik highway

An accidental case has been registered by the Shahpur police.

Three people died and a 19-year-old man suffered grievous injuries on Thursday when the brakes of the tempo they were travelling in failed, causing it to overturn twice before crashing into a trailer on the Bhiwandi-Nashik highway, in Atgaon. The trailer in turn, crashed into the edge of the railway tracks running parallel to the road while the Manmad-CSMT Rajya Rani Express was passing by. Train services were delayed for a while, said railway officials.

A trailer crashed into the railway tracks parallel to the road after a tempo hit it. (HT Photo)

An accidental case has been registered by the Shahpur police. According to locals, the incident took place at 8.15am, when Sujata Waje, 25; Milka Waje, 18; and Suraj Ghatal, 19 — hailing from Shahpur village — were travelling to Bhiwandi in the tempo driven by Navnath Devkar, 35. Officers said the accident occurred as the brakes of the tempo failed and it overturned twice before crashing into the trailer on the parallel road. “Thankfully, the trailer hit the edges of the track and didn’t overturn or it could have rammed into the running express,” said Sandeep Ubale, 35, an Atgaon resident, who witnessed the accident.

“The driver and the women died on the spot, while Ghatal has been hospitalised in Shahpur. The victims were all related,” said an officer, adding that the trailer driver escaped unhurt. A Central Railway official said the express was halted for a few minutes after the mishap. In another incident on Thursday, train services on CR were delayed by 30 minutes owing to a problem in coupling of a goods train near Karjat at 8am, said an official.