NAGPUR: Five people were killed and 18 others, including a pregnant woman, injured on Sunday morning around 7:50 am after a collision between a Chilli-laden truck and a state transport bus near Amdi by-pass near Mansar- Ramtek. The truck dragged the bus for around 50-feet, which then rammed into a standing stationary tanker. The number of casualties is likely to rise as many of the injured are still critical.
Bus conductor, Kalpana Ghangave (32), Anita Avchat (35), both residents of Ramtek, and three passengers Sindhu Bhajanghate (50), a resident of Mansar, Rupesh Uikey (24) of Devlapar and Jabalpur resident Amarsingh Sujane were killed on the spot.
This is the second major accident reported under Amdi diversion this year. On April 18, 11 people had died in an accident involving a Jeep and a truck at the spot. Following this, locals had demanded construction of a flyover but no action was taken later. After Sunday’s accident, residents staged a rasta roko for around three hours demanding concrete measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Parseoni police told the media personal that the bus carrying 25 passengers left from Ramtek for Kondhali on Parseoni-Sonegaon route. Senior police inspector VV Jivane said the bus was taking a right turn towards Parseoni on the four lane road. “The truck was on its way from Nagpur to Jabalpur. Being a highway, the truck was at breakneck speed and couldn’t slow down in time. Though the truck driver tried to avoid the collision, the vehicle hit the left side of the bus and dragged it for 50-feet. As a result, the bus lost balance and hit the stationary tanker behind,” he said, adding, “The truck driver fled from the spot after the accident.”
Some of the injured claimed that the mishap occurred after the truck overtook the stationary tanker but the bus took a sharp turn without slowing down, which lead to the collision, and then rammed the tanker. They added that the bus driver saw the truck coming from the opposite direction. However, according to the regional manager of the state transport corporation, the accident occurred due to over-speeding by the truck driver.
The injured, including 12 women, are undergoing treatment at Mayo Hospital,Nagpur. The bus driver, Wahid Waghade (40), was rushed to a private hospital in critical condition. A 15-year-old truck conductor was also injured.
One of the bus passengers Jitu Janbandhu who himself is a driver and his wife shared the second seat on the left side behind the conductor. Since he was seated near the window, he could clearly see how the accident taking place. “As per rules, the bus driver should have slowed down while taking the turn. Despite knowing that the truck was heading straight, the bus driver left no space resulting in the collision.”
Though his left leg was fractured and he suffered major injuries on his hand, Janbandhu rescued four others from the bus. “As soon as the truck got closer, my wife and I bent down which saved us from sustaining head injuries. After helping my wife get down through the window, I rescued four others,” he added. His wife Uma, who also suffered severe injuries, is reportedly out of danger.
Another injured Poonam Yelne (17), a class 12th student also alleged that bus driver Waghade didn’t slow down after seeing the truck. She was returning home to Parseoni from her tuition classes.
Another injured Sangeeta Tiwari, who had boarded the bus from Mansar, said, “The bus driver was driving recklessly.” She was headed to her company, seven kms from Mansar.
Passers-by and other passengers informed the traffic police, which rushed the injured to Mayo Hospital. However, alleged delay in treatment caused inconvenience to the injured and their relatives.
Police have displayed the list of the deceased persons and those injured at the bus stop, hospital and police station. A case has been registered against the truck driver Mond Athar and the bus driver Waghade. Athar has been arrested.
