Palghar: A tragic road accident occurred on Monday on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district when a tempo carrying guests to an
engagement ceremony collided with a speeding container truck, leaving 11 people dead and 20 others injured, police said. According to PTI , the incident took place near Dhaniwari village in Dahanu taluka at around 4 pm. The Eicher tempo, which was reportedly carrying more than 50 passengers, was en route to the engagement ceremony of one Balaram Jairam Dandekar from Bapugaon Khadkipada village when the collision occurred. According to police officials, the impact of the crash was extremely severe, causing both the tempo and the container truck to overturn on the spot. Several passengers were trapped beneath the mangled vehicles following the collision. Senior Inspector Amar Patil of Kasa police station confirmed that 11 people lost their lives and 20 others sustained injuries. The injured have been shifted to Kasa Upazila Hospital and other nearby medical facilities for treatment. Preliminary investigations suggest that multiple factors may have contributed to the accident, including overloading of passengers, overspeeding, a narrow stretch of road, and possible loss of control by the tempo driver. Authorities said the vehicle was carrying far beyond its permitted capacity. Of the deceased, five people died on the spot, while six others succumbed to injuries later in hospital. Officials also expressed concern that the death toll could rise further, as several injured victims remain in critical condition. Soon after the accident, chaotic scenes unfolded on the busy highway. Local residents, police teams, and emergency responders rushed to the site to carry out rescue operations and extricate victims from the wreckage of the vehicles. The incident turned what was supposed to be a joyful engagement journey into a heartbreaking tragedy for the families involved. Police have registered a case and initiated a detailed investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash, the PTI report added. (With inputs from PTI)
