Lonavla Tragedy: MSRTC Bus Rams Parked Trailer on Expressway; Driver Killed, 9 Injured
Lonavla Tragedy: MSRTC Bus Rams Parked Trailer on Expressway; Driver Killed, 9 Injured
A tragic road accident on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway near Lonavla claimed the life of an MSRTC bus driver and left nine others injured in the early hours of Thursday. The bus, en route from Baramati to Mumbai Central, crashed into a stationary trailer around 3 a.m. near the Lonavla exit.
The MSRTC bus (MH 14 KQ 4956), carrying 33 passengers, collided with a parked container truck (RJ 29 GA 9994). The impact killed the driver, 38-year-old Irshad Abdul Majid Shaikh, a resident of Ashti in Beed district.
Among the injured were the bus conductor, Sagar Gund, and eight passengers identified as:
- Appa Dadarama Olakunte (67) from Malegaon, Baramati
- Priyanka Kharat (26) and Meena Kharat (52) from Bhiwandi
- Rutuja Hubale (16) from Kurla
- Anil Kute (59) and Akshay Kute (31) from Kasarwadi, Pimpri-Chinchwad
- Pranay Dinesh Chavan (25) and Mahesh Manoj Shinde (28) from Santacruz, Mumbai
Emergency teams responded swiftly. Sub-Inspector Ravindra Mudal of the Khandala Highway Police led the rescue efforts, assisted by officers Vijay Kshirsagar and Vikram Jamadar, as well as personnel from the Maharashtra Security Force, IRB, Delta Force, and Devdoot Emergency Response Unit.
The injured were taken to a private hospital at Somatne Phata. Three of them are reportedly in serious condition.
Lonavla City Police have registered a case of accidental death. Initial findings suggest the bus driver may have lost control while approaching the trailer, which was stationary on the expressway at the time of the incident. Investigations are ongoing.
