Nagpur: A tragic road accident involving devotees returning to Nagpur after visiting Pandharpur and Akkalkot claimed the lives of two women and left five others seriously injured on Friday night near the Savangi bypass in Wardha district.

The deceased have been identified as Advocate Kishori Pradeep Uke (49) and Monali Nilesh Meshram (37), both residents of Nagpur. Kishori Uke was the sister-in-law of Advocate Satish Uke.

According to police sources, a group of devotees from Nagpur had travelled to Pandharpur and Akkalkot for darshan. While returning to Nagpur in a four-wheeler, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle near the Savangi bypass on the Wardha highway. The speeding car rammed into a truck parked on the roadside.

The impact of the collision was so severe that the front portion of the vehicle was completely crushed. Kishori Uke and Monali Meshram died on the spot due to critical injuries.

The injured have been identified as Tushar Laxman Jadhav (37), Tanish Chandrashekhar Uke (6), Nita Anil Baraskar (55), Divyanshi Nilesh Meshram (10), Aradhya Santosh Uke (13), Eshanya Anil Baraskar (17), Sadhana Anil Baraskar (56), and Kanchan Chandrashekhar Uke (42), all residents of Nagpur. Police said five of the injured are in serious condition, and some are reported to be critical.

After receiving information about the accident, police and emergency rescue teams rushed to the spot. With the help of local residents, the injured passengers were pulled out of the mangled vehicle and shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The accident temporarily disrupted traffic movement on the highway before police cleared the road and restored normal traffic flow.

Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident. Officials are probing whether the driver dozed off, lost concentration, or if overspeeding led to the fatal crash.