17 October,2026 12:46 PM IST | Nanded | mid-day online correspondent
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Three people were killed and three others injured after a tempo carrying pilgrims from Yavatmal plunged nearly 100 feet into a gorge on a ghat road in Maharashtra's Nanded district, police said on Saturday.
The accident occurred around 5 am on Friday when the vehicle was negotiating a sharp bend on Keroli Ghat in Mahur tehsil, an official said. The occupants, who worked at a furniture shop, were returning to Yavatmal after visiting a temple in Mahur during the ongoing Navratri festival.
According to police, the tempo was descending the ghat when a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction allegedly came onto the wrong side of the road at high speed.
The powerful headlights of the oncoming vehicle reportedly blinded the tempo driver, who attempted to steer away to avoid a collision. However, the driver lost control at the bend, and the tempo plunged into the gorge.
The official said the absence of a sturdy protective wall or crash barrier at the sharp turn contributed to the vehicle falling down the slope.
Three passengers seated in the open cargo section at the rear of the tempo were thrown out as the vehicle tumbled down the slope.
The deceased were identified as Babarao Dnyanoba Tekam, 60, Rahul Sudhakarrao Thakre, 25, and Pritam Ramrao Pradhan, 38.
Thakre and Pradhan died at the scene, while Tekam succumbed to his injuries during treatment, the official said.
The tempo driver, Pratik Arvind Adkine, 26, and two other occupants, Datta Manohar Meshram, 35, and Yashwant Arvind Patil, 25, sustained minor injuries.
All three were seated in the vehicle's cabin when the accident occurred. Their condition was reported to be stable, police said.
The tempo and the victims were retrieved from the gorge with the help of ropes and a crane, according to the official.
The accident occurred as the group was returning from a religious visit during the Navratri festival.
(With inputs from PTI)
