Maharashtra: Five killed, 17 injured while crossing road in Pune-Nashik highway

Five women cooks killed after an unidentified vehicle rammed into their group when they were crossing the road near Kharapudi Phata late on Monday night.

Pune:At least five women, part of a food catering unit, were killed and 13 others injured near Shiroli village in Khed taluka last night, in a hit-and-run accident reported on on Pune-Nashik highway. The speeding four-wheeler ploughed into the group near Kharapudi Phata while they were crossing the Pune-Nashik road.

Police are yet to identify the victims yet and as well as the vehicle involved in the accident. The deceased were part of a private catering unit hired for a wedding party at Kharpudi Gully in the Mandal office. There were 17 women in the group who had come from different parts of Pune.

Police said the group crossed the road to reach the Mandal office was on the other side of the road. It is at that time, the unidentified vehicle rammed into them and killed five of them on the spot. 13 others too have suffered injuries and are being treated at different hospitals here.

The wailing noise was so loud that it drew the attention of the police who were on night patrolling. The cops rushed to the spot and helped move the injured to Chandoli Rural Hospital. The injured were later shifted to private hospitals in Rajguru Nagar. Police said investigations were on.

Two days back, a bike rider died and another was injured after being hit by a speeding truck at Koregaon Bhuma, taluka Shirur on Pune-Nagar highway. Earlier this month, four people were killed and 20 others were injured after a bus hit a stationary truck on Pune-Solapur highway. In the last two months, 12 people died between Wagholi and Shikrapur after being hit by speeding vehicles.