After offering prayers at the Tulja Bhavani Temple in Dharashiv district and visiting other temples, they were on their way to Pandharpur when the truck rammed into their van, police officials said
A group of 12 devotees were on a pilgrimage when accident took place, police said. Representational Pic/File
At least four people, including a child, from Dombivli in Maharashtra’s Thane district were killed after their van was hit by a speeding truck in Solapur district, police said on Tuesday, reported the PTI.
The accident, which left 10 others injured, occurred late on Monday evening near Degaon Shivara village in Mangalwedha taluka, when a group of devotees was travelling to Pandharpur, a prominent temple town in Solapur district, around 400 km from Thane.
According to Thane district police, the group of 12 devotees from the Umeshnagar area of Dombivli (West), along with a few relatives from Diva, had set out two days earlier on a pilgrimage covering Solapur, Kolhapur and nearby religious sites.
Devotees were visiting other temples after offering prayers at the Tulja Bhavani
After offering prayers at the Tulja Bhavani Temple in Dharashiv district and visiting other temples, they were on their way to Pandharpur - home to the temples of Lord Vitthal and Goddess Rukmini - when the truck rammed into their van at around 7.30 pm.
Three devotees - Sonam Ahire, Savita Gupta and Yogini Kekane - died on the spot due to the impact. A critically injured child later succumbed during treatment at the district government hospital in Solapur, taking the death toll to four.
Truck was travelling at a very high speed
“The truck was travelling at a very high speed and collided head-on with the van. The front portion of the vehicle was completely crushed and some passengers were thrown onto the road,” a police official said, according to the PTI.
The truck driver has been detained and further investigation is under way, police added.
Family members of the victims in Dombivli said the pilgrimage had been planned to coincide with the long weekend.
“They were supposed to return home after visiting Pandharpur. We never imagined such a tragedy,” said a relative of the Kekane family, as per the PTI.
Entire locality is in shock, says locals
Another local resident said that most of the victims lived in Shewanta Heights building in the Umeshnagar area.
“The entire locality is in shock. These families are well known here. It is an irreparable loss,” he said.
The injured, including women and children, were admitted to the district hospital in Solapur and are reported to be in a stable condition, police said.
Following the incident, Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan contacted Solapur officials and instructed them to ensure proper medical treatment for the injured, the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)
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