Tata Magic van, truck collide in Nanded, 8 killed, 5 injured

A Tata Magic passenger van and a goods truck collided head-on near Sitakhandi Ghat in Bhokar taluka of Nanded district, killing eight people and leaving five seriously injured. The impact was so severe that the front of the van, which was carrying passengers, was completely smashed.

The accident took place around 7 pm on Thursday, September 10. The Tata Magic, bearing registration number MH 26 AK 0548, was travelling from Nanded towards Bhokar with more than 15 passengers on board.

Near Sitakhandi Ghat, a short distance from Bhokar town, the van collided head-on with the truck coming from the opposite direction. After the collision, the van fell to the side of the road. With the front of the vehicle completely destroyed, several passengers were trapped inside.

Six people died on the spot. The dead include Sayyed Almas, Shaikh Firoz, Pandurang Lingu Waghmare, his wife Laxmibai Pandurang Waghmare, Balwan Pawar and one unidentified person. The deaths of Pandurang Waghmare and his wife Laxmibai in the accident have cast a pall of grief over the area. Two more of the seriously injured later died during treatment in hospital, taking the death toll to 8.

The truck driver, Basumiya Shaikh Kajulmiya, along with Shaikh Khalil Shaikh Wahid, Somnath Maruti Yelge and some others were seriously injured in the accident. The injured were immediately admitted to Bhokar Rural Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment, with the condition of some described as critical.

Police reached the spot as soon as news of the accident came in. With help from local residents, police launched a rescue operation to pull passengers trapped in the Tata Magic out of the wreckage. The injured were rushed to hospital. The severity of the accident drew a large crowd to the Sitakhandi Ghat area for some time, and police worked to bring the situation under control and restore traffic movement.

The accident occurred on the day of the Bailpola festival, sending a wave of grief through the district and casting a shadow over the festivities. Police are investigating the cause of the accident, and there are fears the death toll could rise further.