Ten devotees from Shelkepada, Murbad in Thane sustained injuries after a minibus they were traveling in met with an accident on the Borghat stretch of the Mumbai-Pune highway (NH-48) on Wednesday morning. The group was heading on a pilgrimage to Jejuri, Pune, when the bus turned turtle after the driver lost control following an immediate application of the brake. The Khopoli police, along with rescuers, rushed the victims to a nearby hospital.
Details of the Incident
The pilgrimage was subsequent to the marriage ceremony of a couple. The injured include family members and relatives of the newly married couple. The bus driver, identified as Bharat Ling, lost control at the Magic Point curve slope, resulting in the mishap. Seventeen people were traveling in the bus, excluding the driver and helper. The accident took place at one of the black spots of the Borghat section.
Victims and Rescue Operation
The victims include a 14-year-old girl and two elderly citizens aged 65 and 71. Six males and four females were injured in the mishap. As the bus turned turtle, the victims fell on each other due to the slope stretch. The highway safety patrol-Borghat unit, IRB patrol, Delta Force, Maharashtra Security Force, Lokmanya Hospital, Help Foundation, Khopoli police, among others, had a tough time pulling out the injured victims. The injured were first rushed to Dr. Ambedkar Hospital, run by the Khopoli Municipal Council. Thereafter, some of the grievously injured were shifted to MGM Hospital-Kamothe for further treatment. The bus has been towed away to a safe location, keeping in mind highway safety aspects.
Khopoli police inspector Sachin Hire said, “They were heading to the Khandoba temple in Jejuri when the mishap took place. Further investigation is on.” When contacted over phone, a relative of the victims said, “Ten persons were injured in the mishap.”
The Khopoli police have booked the bus driver for rash driving, endangering life and safety of individuals, among others, under the relevant sections of BNS and Motor Vehicle Act.
