The girls are now our responsibility: Uncle

"Now that they have lost both their parents, it is our responsibility to take care of the three girls, ensure that they study well and get married in good families," said Umakant Tiwari, 32, uncle of Chhaya, Nirja and Priya Tiwari, three of the four survivors of Saturday's fatal accident at Shahapur on the Mumbai-Agra Highway.

"Now that they have lost both their parents, it is our responsibility to take care of the three girls, ensure that they study well and get married in good families," said Umakant Tiwari, 32, uncle of Chhaya, Nirja and Priya Tiwari, three of the four survivors of Saturday's fatal accident at Shahapur on the Mumbai-Agra Highway.

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The parents of the three girls, Rajmani and Parvati Tiwari, had vowed to visit Shirdi 14 years ago when they were blessed with a son. But they had to delay the tonsure ceremony of their son, Shubham, for various reasons until he turned 14.

"It is a real misfortune that the family faced such a disaster after visiting a shrine. Rajmani had such dreams for his children. They are all lost with his death," said D R Tiwari, 52, a neighbour.

Of the three surviving sisters, Chhaya Tiwari has been admitted to Sion hospital, while Nirja and Priya are at New Life Hospital, Ghatkopar.

The Tiwaris' neighbours--Sushila Shukla, Dinanath Tripathi and Vanita Upadhyay-had accompanied them on the ill-fated trip. Tripathi and Shukla were killed in the accident.

Dinanath Tripathi, a BMC school teacher at Marol Naka, is survived by four daughters, a son and wife, who left for Varanasi on Saturday night to perform the last rites.

Vanita Upadhyay, a 19-year old student, was admitted to a hospital in Kalyan and is now stable.

"My mother was very close to the Tiwaris. So we let Vanita join them on the pilgrimage," said Hemant Upadhyay, 26, Vanita's brother.

Amit, Sushila Shukla's son, said: "The last time I spoke to my mother, she said that she was leaving for Mumbai from Shirdi. The driver, Shamsunder, said that he would cover the journey of four hours from Nashik to Mumbai in two hours. He was tired and lost control of the car."