5 students killed, 29 injured in accident at Kolhapur on Mumbai-Bengaluru highway
Visuals from the accident site (Picture Courtesy: TV9 Marathi)
At least five students were killed and 29 others sustained injuries in a road mishap in Kolhapur district of western Maharashtra early Monday morning.
The mishap took place on the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway near Nagaon village.
According to a senior police official, around 44 students were travelling to Sangli in a truck carrying ‘Shivjyot’ to mark the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The students were from Walchand college.
When the vehicle reached Nagaon Phata, an unidentified vehicle dashed against it and rammed into two motorcycles which were escorting the truck.
All the injured were taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared the five students dead. At least 29 others were undergoing treatment at the hospital, the officer said.
The deceased are yet to be identified.
According to the official, the students had started their journey from Panhala fort in Kolhapur district.
A case under relevant sections has been registered and a probe into the incident is currently underway.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also took to Twitter to express grief about the incident.
“Shocked and saddened to know about the tragic accident near Nagaon where 5 students from Walchand college, Sangli, carrying ‘ShivJyot’, lost lives while returning to Sangli. My deepest condolences to all families. Praying for speedy recovery of injured students,” he tweeted.
