A devastating collision between a tractor and a container truck on Ahilya bridge in Kolhapur resulted in two fatalities and multiple injuries on Sunday night. The accident occurred over the Chandrabhaga river, sending both vehicles plummeting approximately 25 feet into the dried-up riverbed.
Details of the Fatal Crash
The incident took place at 8:30 pm when the container truck was traveling towards the temple town of Pandharpur. Simultaneously, the tractor was pulling a trolley carrying twelve sugar cane workers towards their workplace in Karkamb, located 28 kilometers from Pandharpur.
Victims Identified
The deceased have been named as Raju Chavan, a 45-year-old tractor driver from Karkamb, and Mahadev Kale, a 26-year-old sugar cane worker from Bembale. Several other workers sustained injuries in the crash.
Rescue Operations Through the Night
Rescue efforts continued throughout the night with the assistance of large cranes. Many sugar cane workers were trapped beneath the vehicles, making extraction a delicate and challenging task for emergency responders.
Assistant inspector Ashish Kamble from the Pandharpur city police station provided details of the accident. "The driver of the container truck lost control, broke through the divider, and hit the tractor," he stated. "Both vehicles then plunged into the dried-up river bed."
Injuries and Hospitalizations
The injured individuals suffered various traumas:
- Some workers sustained broken legs
- Others survived with head and neck injuries
- The container truck driver was also injured and admitted to Solapur Civil Hospital
Rescue operations persisted until 1:30 am, with multiple ambulances standing by to transport the wounded. Injured sugar cane cutters received treatment at both private hospitals and the Civil Hospital.
Police Investigation and Legal Action
Authorities have registered a case against the container truck driver. The bridge where the accident occurred serves as a crucial connection between Pandharpur, Tembhurni, and rural areas of Solapur district.
Police emphasized the complexity of the rescue mission, noting that workers were trapped beneath both the tractor trolley and the container. Extracting them without causing additional harm required careful coordination and specialized equipment.
