Truck hits devotees carrying Navratri flame from Tuljapur; three killed on Dhule-Solapur highway

Karmad: A speeding Eicher truck rammed from behind a group of devotees who were carrying a flame (mashal jyot) on foot from Tuljapur back to Golegaon-Gadana in Khultabad taluka for Navratri, near Kachner Phata on the Dhule-Solapur national highway. Three young men were killed and the 20-year-old carrying the flame was seriously injured in the accident at about 7.30 pm on Saturday, October 10.

Some members of the group were following the walkers on motorcycles to protect them. The truck struck a motorcycle from behind with such force that the devotees on foot were also caught up in the crash. The motorcycle is said to have been dragged for about two kilometres after getting stuck to the truck. The driver fled with the vehicle.

The three who died were from Jakarwadi and Gadana in Khultabad taluka, and the injured man is from Chimnapurwadi. They were only 40 to 50 km from home when the accident happened, and their villages are in mourning.

Assistant inspector Gokul Thakur of the Karmad police station and his colleagues rushed to the spot. The injured were taken to hospitals in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Chikalthana, where doctors declared three of them dead. Police cleared traffic on the highway. Karmad police have registered a case and, under the guidance of inspector Samratsing Rajput, are searching for the driver.

Sources: Esakal; Saam TV