The six men were heading towards Pali in Raigad district in their car, when it rammed into a bus at Wadkal on the Mumbai-Goa highway on Sunday morning
A visit to a temple turned out to be a death trap for six Thane residents. On a visit to a temple in Pali, five men lost their lives while one was grievously injured in a freak accident that occurred on the Mumbai-Goa highway at 4 am on Sunday.
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The six men were travelling in a Hyundai Getz and were headed towards Pali in Raigad district when they collided with a luxury bus at Wadkal. The bus was making its way to Mumbai from Sawantwadi.
Police officials at Wadkal police station said that three of the six travellers in the car died on the spot, while two others succumbed to their injuries later. One of the six men, however, was admitted at MGM Hospital in Kamothe, Navi Mumbai. He is in a critical condition and is on a ventilator.
The deceased have been identified as Mahesh Kadam (24), Sandeep Shinde (26), Pravin Raje (25), Ashwin Sawant (24) and Kishore Ankati (24). All of them are residents of Vartak Nagar in Thane (west). Speaking to MiD DAY, Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) M P Patil from Wadkal police station said, “While three of the men died on the spot, two others succumbed to their injuries. We are yet to establish the cause of the accident, but prima facie, it looks like the driver of the car probably must have dozed off, considering that the accident occurred during the early morning hours.”
Those travelling by the luxury bus, fortunately, did not suffer any injuries. A staff member from MGM Hospital’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), said, “While Ashwin Sawant passed away after being brought to the hospital, Shankar Raje was put on a ventilator and has been undergoing treatment. However, his condition is extremely critical.”
Dangerous highway
Of all the national highways that pass through Maharashtra, the Mumbai-Goa highway has witnessed the highest number of accidents and fatalities between 2006 and 2011. During the period, while 1,479 fatalities occurred on the Goa Highway (476 km), the Dhule-Adilabad Road (632 km) witnessed 1,471 deaths. Transport experts and motorists using this important road feel that widening the road alone is not enough, and needs to be supplemented with installation of reflectors at accident-prone spots