Pune: At least nine people were killed after a tempo hit their minivan, causing it to ram into a stationary bus on the Pune-Nashik Highway on Friday morning, police said. The accident occurred near Narayangaon around 10 am.
Four women, four men and a child died on the spot. Three others were injured. The accident took place while they were coming from Nashik to Pune. The injured have been rushed to the hospital for immediate treatment, police added.
The minivan was heading towards Narayangaon when a tempo hit the vehicle from behind, causing it to ram into an empty bus parked on the side of the road, said Pankaj Deshmukh, superintendent of police, Pune Rural. All nine occupants of the minivan were killed, he said.
The deceased have been identified as Deshubai Takalkar (65), Vinod Rokade (50), Yuvraj Waawal (23), Chandrakant Gunjal (57), Gita Gavare (45), Bhau Bade (65), Najma Ahmed Hanif Shaikh (35), Washifa Inamdar (5) and Manisha Nanasaheb Pacharane (56).
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that Rs 5 lakh will be allocated to the kin of the deceased.
"The incident of the death of nine workers in a terrible accident near Narayangaon on the Pune-Nashik highway is very unfortunate. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them. We share in the grief of their families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. Financial assistance of Rs five lakh will be provided to the kin of the deceased from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. I have told the Pune Superintendent of Police to take proper care of the treatment of the injured," Fadnavis said in a post on X.
