A tragic accident on the Pune-Nashik Highway claimed the lives of nine people, including a 5-year-old child, on Friday morning near Narayangaon. According to police reports, the deadly crash occurred around 9:30 AM when a tempo collided with a minivan, causing the minivan to crash into a stationary bus on the side of the road.
The police explained that the tempo struck the minivan from behind, pushing it into an empty Maharashtra State Transport (ST) bus parked along the highway. The powerful collision immediately killed all nine individuals in the minivan, and authorities pronounced them dead at the scene. The victims included individuals of various ages, including the young child, Vashifa Inamdar, aged 5.
Eight other people sustained minor to moderate injuries in the incident and are currently receiving medical treatment, according to authorities. Following the crash, the tempo driver fled the scene, and police have initiated a manhunt to track down the individual responsible. They have also filed charges against the unidentified tempo driver and the bus driver, identified as Bhausaheb Jaybhay, for improperly parking the bus.
Victims Identified
The victims of the crash have been identified by local authorities. They include Debubai Takalkar (65), Vinod Rokade (50), the driver of the minivan, Yuvraj Wavhal (23), Chandrakant Gunjal (50), Geeta Gaware (45), Bhau Bade (65), Najma Hanif Shaikh (35), Vashifa Inamdar (5), and Manisha Pacharne (56).
The incident has left the local community in shock. Vikram Bhor, the sarpanch of Kandali village in Junnar tehsil, expressed the deep sorrow felt by the villagers. “Everyone was shocked upon hearing the news. Vinod Rokade was a local minivan driver, while Bhau Bade was on his way to Narayangaon to buy medicines. Manisha Pacharne was a teacher at the Zilla Parishad school, and Yuvraj Wavhal, a 23-year-old, was preparing for the civil services exams,” Bhor said.
Maharashtra CM Announces Compensation
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his condolences and called the incident unfortunate. He announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh to each of the families of the deceased. The government’s gesture aims to support the families during this heartbreaking time.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are actively working to locate the driver of the tempo. Local residents and authorities are grappling with the aftermath of this horrific crash, which has devastated the community and left families mourning the loss of their loved ones.
