Maharashtra: Fatal head-on collision between buses claims seven lives

The rise of accidents in the state has become a major concern questioning road safety and security of commoners. pic/Highway Police

In a head-on collision between two private passenger buses during the wee hours of Saturday, 7 lives were claimed on National Highway 53 at Nandura Naka flyover in Malkapur, Buldhana district. One of the private buses was ferrying devotees returning from Amarnath, while the other one was heading towards Nashik. Twenty persons have been sent to hospitals in Buldhana.

According to the highway police, the incident occurred at around 2:30 am. One bus owned by Shree Balaji Tirth Yatra company, Hingoli (MH-08-9458), was returning to Hingoli, while the travel bus of Royal Company (MH-27-BX-4566) was traveling towards Nashik from Nagpur. One of the buses was attempting to overtake a truck but ended up colliding with the other bus in front.

In the accident, 25 to 30 persons were injured and were rushed to Buldana District Hospital. Five passengers were declared dead on arrival by doctors, while two succumbed to injuries during treatment.

Maharashtra has been witnessing scores of accidents, leading to the deaths of many even this year. The rise of accidents has become a major concern questioning road safety and security of commoners.

Earlier on July 1, in a separate accident, a bus traveling from Yavatmal to Pune caught fire on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg Expressway. The incident claimed the lives of 25 people, while eight others sustained injuries and were receiving treatment at a hospital in Buldhana. The bus, operated by Vidarbha Travels, was carrying a total of 33 passengers. The driver of the bus survived and was taken into custody by the police for questioning. According to reports, the driver revealed that he lost control of the vehicle after a tyre burst, causing a collision with an iron pole. The bus subsequently overturned and quickly caught fire. The authorities are still in the process of identifying the deceased. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives.

In another accident on June 30, six pilgrims returning to Karnataka after visiting temple towns of Pandharpur and Akkalkot were killed, and 11 injured when their passenger vehicle collided with a cement mixer truck in southern Maharashtra's Solapur district, police had said. The deceased included five women and a boy.

A speeding cement mixer truck, heading towards Solapur, collided with the passenger vehicle, the official said, adding that police rushed to the spot and all the passengers were taken to a nearby government hospital. Five women and one boy were declared dead on arrival while 11 others -- three women and eight men -- were undergoing treatment, the police official had said.