In a tragic accident on the Mumbai-Pune old highway near the HOC bridge in Bhor Ghat, two people lost their lives and six others were injured after giant pipes fell off a speeding truck on Saturday evening.
The truck, en route to Pune from Mumbai, was carrying oversized pipes which slipped and fell onto the road while passing through the bridge. A car following the truck swerved to avoid the falling load, but one of the pipes landed directly on it. The impact caused the car to crash into a two-wheeler, resulting in serious injuries to the scooter riders.
One of the riders, 20-year-old Rutika Chavan, died on the spot, while Vaibhav Galande (29), a resident of Warje, Pune, sustained critical injuries and was rushed to Jakhotia Hospital in Khopoli.
In the car, Ankita Shinde (28) was killed, while four other passengers – Sonali Khadadate (33), Shivraj Khadadate (33), Lata Shinde (50), and Lalit Shinde (30) – sustained injuries. All of them are residents of Bhosari, Pune, and were admitted to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Municipal Hospital, Khopoli.
The accident occurred around 7 PM, creating a severe traffic jam on the highway for over an hour. Traffic was restored after police and accident response teams cleared the wreckage.
Local social workers Sanjay Mhatre, Ankush More and the accident relief team assisted in transporting the injured to the hospitals.
"We are investigating the cause of the accident, including whether there was negligence in securing the truck’s cargo," a police officer from Khopoli police said.
