Two Punekars — 40-year-old co-driver Hemant Darekar and passenger Manish Vyavahare — managed to save 12 lives after the luxury bus they were travelling in collided with a diesel tanker, resulting in the death of eight passengers and several others getting injured in the wee hours of Wednesday at Kude village in Palghar taluka of Thane district.

Smash-bang: The bus was travelling from Pune to Ahmedabad when the accident occurred at around 1.40 am at Kude village in Palghar taluka of Thane district; (below) co-driver Hemant Darekar. Pics/Nimesh Dave 


Hemant Darekar

At approximately 1.45 am, Darekar was taking a nap in the backseat when he heard a loud sound. Within seconds, smoke began to fill the bus and flames quickly began to engulf it. “I was sleeping at the rear side of the bus, as my duty was to start after 2.30 am when the bus reaches Vapi at the border of Gujarat.