Nagpur: A high-speed Saini Travels bus en route to Nagpur from Kolhapur crashed into a road divider near Hivari on the Nagpur-Tuljapur National Highway, injuring 35 passengers, including the driver and cleaner. The accident occurred at 3:45 AM on Monday, March 24 in Yavatmal district. Two individuals sustained critical injuries and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Bus Loses Control, Crashes Into Divider:
According to reports, the bus had departed Kolhapur at 2 PM on Sunday and was traveling through Sangli, Solapur, Latur, Tuljapur, and Nanded before heading towards Yavatmal. As the bus reached Hivari, driver Jaswinder Singh lost control of the vehicle, colliding with the divider. The impact shattered the windshield, causing Singh and the steering wheel to be thrown into the drain.
The cleaner, Abdul Haq, who was asleep in the driver’s cabin, was also ejected from the vehicle upon impact. Many passengers were asleep when the accident happened, leading to panic inside the bus.
Rescue Efforts and Medical Assistance:
Hearing the passengers’ screams for help, local villagers rushed to assist. Authorities, including PI Prashant Kaware and traffic branch head Dnyanoba Devkate, arrived with their teams to manage the situation.
Police, with the help of villagers, rescued the injured passengers and transported them to Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College Hospital in five ambulances. Passengers with minor injuries received primary treatment before traveling to Warda and Nagpur in arranged vehicles.
Driver Jaswinder Singh was taken to Nagpur for treatment after sustaining a head injury. Cleaner Abdul Haq suffered stomach and chest injuries and is receiving medical care at a private hospital.
List of Injured Passengers:
Several passengers sustained injuries, including:
• Yogesh Navalkar, Avinash Dhoble, Gulab Singh, Ravi Jadhav, Sonu Nand, Nitin Shivankar, Rajendra Uttalwar, Arnav Rajendra Uttalwar, Nitin Srirame, Vaishali Joshi, Deepak Kumar, Mahesh Kumkar, Akash Nagarjoge, Gajweng Chaware, Vaishan Bhitkar, M R Bilal, Rakesh Bhagwat, Prajyot Sudhir Patil, Uma Shivankar, Vishal Petukle, Vishal Matre, Kamal Tomanker, driver Jaswinder Singh, driver Abdul Haq, Girish Mishra, Ishwar Wade, Shambala Mali, Babli Mishra, Shilpa Channe, Praveen Pawar, Ravindra Wankhede, Dhanraj Chore.
Authorities Urge Caution on Highways:
This accident highlights the dangers of overspeeding on highways. Authorities are urging passengers and transport operators to prioritize road safety measures to prevent such incidents.
