FIRST came a deafening sound of a crash, followed by an explosion of screams and wails and shouts, as a speeding private bus crashed into a stationary truck near village Tas in Bhiwapur taluka on Umred Road leaving at least four passengers dead and 23 seriously injured with mounting fears of more deaths in what could be described as one of the worst of such accidents in the recent times. A private bus (MH-49/J-8616), operated by Maa Durga Travels, was en route from Nagpur to Mul in Chandrapur district. Around 11.30 am on Thursday, the rashly-driven bus first rammed into a roadside tea stall before crashing into a stationary food grain-laden truck (MH-31/AP-2966) parked along the Umrer Road.

 

The head-on collision was so severe that the truck overturned, and the front section of the bus was completely destroyed killing four passengers, including a school going boy, on the spot. The deceased have been identified as Naitik Jitendra Madavi (14), a resident of Kanhalgaon, taluka Sindewahi, district Chandrapur; Jaswant Vasantrao Bawankar (55), a resident of Umrer; Sanjay Yogeshwar Sonkusre (48), a resident of Shanti Nagar, Nagpur, and Surekha Ankush Thawre (42), a resident of Nad (Shivanfad), taluka Bhiwapur, district Nagpur. Injured Vandana Deochand Naitam (23), Priya Nandlal Patel (21), Pramod Maroti Shingewar (53), Sudam Utuji Meshram (68), Jijabai Mohan Madavi (60), all residents of Sindewahi, district Chandrapur; Aarushi Abhay Gajghate (17), Anurag Mahadeo Salore (22), Maroti Junoji Lanjewar (60), Pramod Diwakar Dilwar (37), Raju Rajendra Thul (49), Navya Abhay Gajghate (15) and Sonu Sanjay Borkar ( 33), all residents of Nagpur; Ravi Motiram Waghmare (45), Samiksha Vasant Dharne (17), Amrapali Natthuji Gedam (36), Lata Shyamrao Ganvir (45), all residents of taluka Bhiwapur; Pournima Dhurwas Nikure (25), a resident of Awadgaon, Nagbhid; Shalik Arjun Kumbhre (35), a resident of Chandrapur; Alkesh Shyamsunder Tiwade (45), a resident of Umrer, and Shobha Ramkrishna Gajbhiye (60), a resident of Nagbhid, were rushed to Government Medical College & Hospital. Eyewitnesses reported that the driver of the speeding bus lost control, causing the vehicle to veer off and hit the truck, leading to immediate death of four passengers. Two men were crushed beneath the front wheels of the bus, with their bodies found trapped under the vehicle. Emergency responders, led by Assistant Police Inspector Jayprakash Nirmal (PSO Bhiwapur), rushed to the scene. Cops deployed a crane and bulldozer to lift the wreckage and recover the bodies.

 

The critically injured passengers were quickly transported to Government Medical College & Hospital for urgent medical attention. Superintendent of Police (Nagpur Rural) Harssh Poddar and SDPO (Umrer Division) Raja Pawar also visited the spot. Bhiwapur Police registered a case under Sections 106, 125(a), 125(b), 281 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, read with Section 184 of the Motor Vehicle Act, and started further investigation to ascertain whether the bus driver or the trucker was responsible for the tragedy.