At least 13 people were killed and over 25 others injured after a container lorry rammed into a tempo carrying wedding guests on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on Monday evening.
According to police, the victims were travelling from Bapugaon in Dahanu to attend an engagement ceremony in Dhanivari when the accident took place near Dhaniwari village around 4 pm.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the tempo, carrying more than 40 passengers, was allegedly moving on the wrong side of the highway to avoid a detour of nearly one kilometre. Officials said a container truck travelling from Gujarat towards Mumbai lost control and crashed into the vehicle. A motorcycle was also caught in the collision.
Police said the truck overturned onto the tempo after the impact, trapping several passengers inside the mangled vehicle. Rescue teams rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals.
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Officials said 11 people died during treatment at Kasa Sub-District Hospital, while two others succumbed to injuries at a private hospital in Dahanu.
Palghar Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh said prima facie the accident appeared to have occurred due to an error by the tempo driver, though a detailed probe has been launched to ascertain the exact cause of the crash.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the tragedy and announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of those killed.
“It is tragic that 13 people lost their lives in the accident. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Fadnavis said in a post on social media.
Palghar MP Hemant Savara and local MLA Rajendra Gavit visited the accident site and assured assistance to the victims and their families.
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