15 dead, 5 hurt in rd mishap
MUMBAI: Fifteen labourers were killed and at least five were severely injured when the truck carrying them overturned near Kingaon village in Yaval taluka of Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district in the early hours of Monday. Seven men, six women and two children lost their lives in the accident.
According to highway traffic police, the truck, which was also carrying papayas, was on its way from Sakri in Dhule district to Raver in Jalgaon district when the accident took place. Police officers said the truck driver lost control because of potholes. “The truck was taking a steep turn when it overturned and the labourers were crushed under the papayas,” said a police officer. Most of the people were from Abhoda, said the police.
The driver of the vehicle, Shaikh Zahir Baddruddin, has also sustained minor injuries and is being treated at a rural hospital along with the other injured labourers. Police said he will be arrested by Yaval police after being discharged from the hospital. They said they have registered a case of accidental death and are investigating it further. “Since the accident took place a few minutes after midnight, rescue operations were delayed. However, the injured have been admitted and are receiving treatment,” said a police officer.
The police are trying to contact next of kin of the deceased to hand over their bodies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mourned the loss of lives and prayed for an early recovery of those injured.“heart-wrenching truck accident in Jalgaon, Maharashtra. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover at the earliest,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet on Monday.