5 die in yet another major accident on Mumbai-Pune expressway
Picture: Shreenivas Bikkad
In yet another tragic incident on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, 5 people lost their lives when their car overturned near the Kamshet tunnel during the wee hours of Tuesday.
According to preliminary information, there were a total of six passengers in the Maruti Ciaz (MH 14 EU 7038) travelling from Mumbai to Pune.
Around 3 am, the driver of the car, who was allegedly speeding, lost control of the vehicle near the Kamshet tunnel, causing the car to flip over. The car rolled over a few times before coming to a halt.
Other motorists quickly rushed to the spot and tried to rescue the passengers.
Three passengers died on the spot, while the remaining three were rushed to Lokmanya Tilak Hospital.
Out of the three that were rushed to the hospital, two succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment. One passenger is still undergoing treatment, but his condition is also critical.
Three deceased have been identified as Aditya Bhandarkar, Yash Shirali and Abhishek Roy, all residents of Pune. Cops are still trying determine the identity of the other two individuals who lost their lives and the injured passenger.
The accident occurred in the wake of government’s decision to increase fines on the expressway to discourage motorists from flouting rules on the expressway.
The Mumbai-Pune expressway has witnessed around 14,500 accidents since it’s construction in 2002, making it one of the most accident-prone highways in the country. Earlier this month, a senior Bajaj executive and his wife had also lost their lives in a road accident on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.
Further details are awaited.
Update (1:25 pm): All six students were reportedly college students in their 20s. According to the highway police, the driver rammed his car into another vehicle before flipping over.
Update (1:34 pm): Another deceased has been identified as Akshay Bhilare. According to some reports, the sixth passenger also succumbed to his injuries. However we are yet to get a confirmation on the same.
Update (5:30 pm): The fifth deceased has been identified as Jacky Samuel. All 6 passengers were engineering students from D. Y Patil College and Navale College in Pune. A case of accidental death has been registered with Kamshet police station.
