13 dead, 20 injured after traveller collides with speeding truck in Maharashtra

Palghar: 13 people died, and 20 were injured after a tempo traveller packed with guests heading for an engagement ceremony collided with a speeding container trailer on Monday on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Maharashtra's Palghar district.

A motorcycle was also caught in the pile-up caused by the trailer going out of control, they added.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced compensation of ₹5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.

The accident occurred near Dhaniwari village under Dahanu taluka at around 4 pm when the Eicher tempo traveller, packed with 30-40 passengers, was heading for the engagement ceremony of one Balaram Jairam Dandekar, hailing from Bapugaon Khadkipada village, they said.

A statement from the Palghar district administration said the Eicher tempo traveller was moving on the wrong side of the Mumbai-Gujarat lane.

"Upon reaching Dhaniwari village, a trailer coming from the opposite direction lost control, and its container box collided heavily with the left side of the tempo traveller. A motorcycle was also caught in the pile-up," it said.

Thirteen persons died on the spot or in transit to medical facilities, the statement said.

Emergency response teams and local police authorities rushed to the site immediately to coordinate relief operations, extricate victims, and clear traffic on the busy highway, it added.

The statement identified the 13 deceased persons as Suresh Ratna Lakhat, Pandu Ganpat Lakhat, Kalu Govind Lakhat, Sunil Arjun Dandekar, Chima Govind Kurhada, Namita Vitthal Dandekar, Sarika Santosh Lakhat, Ayush Sitaram Lakhat, Sagar Namdev Shende, Vandana Shivram Valvi, Saloni Shivram Valvi, Ajay Ahadi and Riyanshi Santosh Lakhat.

"Fourteen of the injured passengers have been rushed to Vedanta Hospital in Dahanu for intensive medical care, while the remaining injured survivors have been shifted to Kasa Sub-District Hospital for further treatment," the statement said.

For further inquiries or to provide information, relatives can contact Dr Sachin Waghmare at 9421485504, the district administration statement said.

An investigation into the exact cause of the collision is currently ongoing, it said, quoting district officials.

According to police, the impact of the collision was so severe that both the tempo traveller and the container trailer overturned on the spot, trapping several passengers underneath the vehicles.

Preliminary investigations suggest the tempo traveller was carrying passengers way beyond its capacity. Excessive speed, a narrow stretch of the road, and the trailer driver losing control of the vehicle are suspected to be the primary causes behind the crash.

Following the crash, chaotic scenes were witnessed on the busy highway as local residents, police personnel, and rescue teams rushed to the spot to extricate the victims from the mangled remains of the vehicles.

The tragedy turned the festive atmosphere of the engagement into a state of grief for the families involved.

Police have registered a case and initiated a thorough probe.