Eight women labourers killed as truck hits tempo on Nagpur-Mumbai expressway
Jalna/Mumbai (PTI): Eight women labourers were killed, and three others were injured after a speeding truck rammed into a tempo on the Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway in Jalna district of Maharashtra on Wednesday evening, police said.
The incident occurred when a group of women was returning home after completing cleaning work on the expressway.
"A total of 11 persons, including the driver, were sitting in the tempo. As the vehicle was about to start, a speeding truck headed towards Mumbai rammed into it from behind at Kadvanchi village," a police official said, adding that seven women died on the spot and another succumbed in the Jalna government hospital.
The tempo was badly mangled, and the bodies were reportedly strewn across the road.
The deceased have been identified as Alkabai Admane (45), Laxmibai Madan (35), Meena Admane (45), Kanchan Admane (50), Tarabai Choudhari (60), Kadubai Madan (55), and Suman Admane (70), all residents of Jalna tehsil.
The identity of the eighth deceased is yet to be confirmed.
Three people are undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Police have arrested the truck driver and registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway.
Expressing grief, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the death of eight people is extremely unfortunate, and announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.
Fadnavis paid heartfelt tributes to the deceased and expressed solidarity with their families.
He said in a statement the injured have been immediately admitted to hospitals and the local administration is coordinating relief efforts.
The district collector and the superintendent of police are present at the spot, overseeing the situation, the chief minister added.
Environment Minister and Jalna District Guardian Minister Pankaja Munde has expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
In a condolence message, Munde extended her sympathies to the families of the deceased.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
