10 dead, many injured after bus carrying Sai Baba devotees collides with truck on Nashik-Shirdi Highway

New Delhi: Nearly 10 people died and several others were injured after a bus carrying Sai Baba devotees collided with a truck near Pathare on Nashik-Shirdi Highway. The accident took place around 7 am, when the bus from Ambernath town in Thane was speeding to the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district via Sinnar-Shirdi state highway.

Maharashtra | 10 people died and several others injured after a bus carrying Sai Baba devotees collided with a truck near Pathare on Nashik-Shirdi Highway: Nashik Police pic.twitter.com/Xel2Irb0vc

— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2023

According to IANS report, the bus, carrying around 45 passengers, reportedly crashed headlong into the truck coming from the opposite direction and then overturned, resulting in the huge tragedy, said the police.

Among the victims are six women, two men and two children, said the police. Of the injured victims, 20 are admitted to the Sinnar Rural Hospital, Matoshree Hospital, Yeshwant Hospital and Salunkhe Hospital, and four were treated and allowed to go by the Sinnar Rural Hospital, reported IANS.

Some who are seriously injured have been rushed to the Shirdi Superspeciality Hospital and the Vavi Police have registered an accident case with the probe underway.

The police said seven of the fatalities have been identified and work is on to establish the identities of the other three others who lost their lives.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has expressed condolences on the loss of lives in the tragic accident and announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakhs each to the families of the deceased. CM Shinde has ordered relevant authorities to conduct an investigation into the incident.

नाशिक शिर्डी महामार्गावर झालेल्या खासगी बसचा अपघात अत्यंत दुर्दैवी आहे. या दुर्घटनेत मृतांच्या कुटुंबीयांना प्रत्येकी पाच लाखांची मदत जाहीर करण्यात आले असून जखमींवर शासकीय खर्चाने वैद्यकीय उपचार देण्यात येणार आहेत. तसेच या अपघाताच्या चौकशीचे निर्देश प्रशासनाला दिले आहेत. — Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) January 13, 2023

Meanwhile, on hearing of the calamity, the shocked families and friends of the victims have started rushing from Ambernath and surroundings to Nashik.