At least 20 persons were killed and over 25 others injured in different accidents in Pune and Nashik districts of Maharashtra in the last 24 hours.
The back-to-back accidents had raised serious issues over road safety and driving during monsoon. While nine persons were killed in a pile up of vehicles at Babhulgaon-Shivar near Yeola town in Nashik district at 6.30 PM on Sunday, nine persons were killed and over 10 others were injured when a state transport bus rammed into a stationary mini-truck in Junnar in Pune district at 1.30 AM on Monday, reports reaching here said.
As far as the Pune incident is concerned, it involved as bus of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC)which was travelling from Trimbakeshwar to Pune. It is suspected that becuase of the heavy rains, the driver could not spot the stationary truck loaded with onions. Eye-witnesses said that the impact was so severe that one side of the bus has been ripped off. The injured passengers had been admitted to hospitals in Ale Phata area.
The Nashik incident took place when the tempo-trax returning to Dhule from Ahmednagar collided with a van and seconds later a motorcyle and a bus of the MSRTC crashed. Passengers in the car were returning to Dhule after attending an engagement function. The victims reportedly had come from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh and Dhule.
In another incident at Malegaon in Nashik district, an undenitied vehicle hit a Activa killing an onion trader and his employee. Meanwhile, around 15 others were injured in an accident involving a container, a car, a MSRTC bus and a motorcycle near Shindewadi on Pune-Satara Highway on Sunday evening. The truck's brakes apparantly failed and the driver lost control over its wheel, colliding first with a car, then hit a two-wheeler and hit another car.
It is to be mentioned here that, Shipping, Highways and Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday - speaking at an event - had expressed concern over the delay in repairs of roads.
Published 28 August 2017, 08:30 IST