5 killed, 42 injured as bus ferrying pilgrims hits tractor on Mumbai-Pune Expressway
Mumbai (PTI): At least five persons were killed and 42 others injured when a bus carrying pilgrims hit a tractor on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, police said on Tuesday.
The bus was ferrying 54 'warkaris' (devotees of Lord Vitthal) who were on their way to Pandharpur for the Ashadhi Ekadashi celebrations from their hometown Dombivli in Thane district near Mumbai, they said.
The accident took place at around midnight near Panvel in Navi Mumbai, an official said.
While on the expressway, the speeding bus hit the tractor.
Three passengers from the bus and two from the tractor were killed, DCP Vivek Pansare said, adding that a woman was among the deceased.
After hitting the tractor, the bus rammed into a barricade of the expressway and fell into a 20-feet-deep gorge, the official said.
The injured pilgrims were rushed to a private hospital for treatment. The condition of seven of them was serious, he said.
Ashadhi Ekadashi will be celebrated on Wednesday.
Lakhs of warkaris undertake the pilgrimage every year to Pandharpur, where they converge on the Ashadhi Ekadashi from all parts of Maharashtra.
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4 workers die after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad
Dhanbad (Jharkhand) (PTI): At least four workers died after being buried under coal slurry in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on Saturday, a police official said.
The incident took place at Moonidih coal washery in the command area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
"Bodies of all four workers were dug out of debris during a rescue operation," Putki police station in-charge Waqar Hussain told PTI.
The incident took place when coal slurry was being loaded into trucks by workers, during which a large chunk of slurry fell and trapped several workers underneath, officials said.
The deceased have been identified as Manik Bauri, Dinesh Bauri, Deepak Bauri, and Hemlal Gope.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased and local villagers placed the bodies in front of the washery gate and began a protest.
They demanded compensation, jobs for dependents and action against those responsible for the incident.
Police and administration officials are trying to pacify the protesters, an official said.
