Nashik, Maharashtra:

Dada Bhuse, Nashik’s Guardian Minister in Maharashtra cabinet on Sunday said that whoever will be found guilty in connection with the Samruddhi expressway accident which has claimed at least 12 lives will be punished once the investigation is completed.

Dada Bhuse who met the injured of a road accident on Sunday also said that the order for an investigation into the matter has been given.

“…This is a very unfortunate incident…Those who are injured are being treated at the government’s expense… Orders have been given for investigation of this incident and those found accused will be punished…” Dada Bhuse told ANI.

Twelve people, including a five-year-old girl, died after the driver of a minibus allegedly lost control and rammed a container truck on Samruddhi Mahamarg near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra early Sunday.

According to police, the accident took place on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday when 35 members of a family from Nashik were returning home after paying a visit to the Sailani Baba Dargah in Buldhana.

The Samruddhi Mahamarg, named Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is a 701-km-long expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur.

It traverses 10 districts including Nagpur, Washim, Wardha, Ahmednagar, Buldhana, Aurangabad, Amravati, Jalna, Nashik and Thane.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a post on X said a compensation of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) would be given to the families of those who died and the injured persons would be given Rs 50,000.

The PMO in a post on X said, “Pained by the loss of lives due to an accident in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. My thoughts are with those who lost their loved ones.I wish the injured a speedy recovery. An ex-gratia of Rs.2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs.50,000.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

At least 12 people were killed and 23 others injured when a speeding mini-bus hit a container in the early hours of Sunday on Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, formerly known as Aurangabad, police said.

There were 35 passengers travelling by the private bus, an official said.

The accident took place at around 12.30 am in Vaijapur area of the expressway in the district, located nearly 350 km from Mumbai, he said.

The bus driver lost control over the wheels. As a result, the bus hit the container from the rear side, the official said.

Twelve passengers were killed. These include five men, six women and a minor girl, he said.

The official said 23 others received injuries and they were admitted to a government hospital. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)