Seven members of a family, including a two-year-old child, were killed in a road accident near Dindori in Maharashtra’s Nashik district after the car they were travelling in collided with a motorcycle, and plunged into a roadside drain late Wednesday.
According to the Dindori police, the accident took place near the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) on Wani Road around midnight. They said the victims were returning to their hometown of Sarasale in Dindori after attending a child’s birthday celebration in Nashik when the Alto car they were travelling in collided head-on with an oncoming motorcycle.
The impact caused the car to veer off the road and overturn into the water-filled drain, said the police.
Their preliminary investigations suggest the occupants of the car drowned as they were unable to escape from the submerged vehicle.
The police said that the front of the vehicle was extensively damaged in the collision, and rescue operations were hindered due to the location and condition of the car.
The deceased have been identified as Devidas Pandit Gangurde, 28; Manisha Devidas Gangurde, 23; Uttam Eknath Jadhav, 42; Alka Uttam Jadhav, 38; Dattatreya Namdev Waghmare, 45; Anusaya Dattatreya Waghmare, 40; and a two-year-old Bhavesh Devidas Gangurde.
Two men on the motorcycle — Mangesh Yashwant Kurghade, 25, and Ajay Jagannath Gond, 18 — were injured in the accident, and have been admitted to Nashik District Hospital. Gond is reportedly a resident of Jawhar in Palghar district, and lives in Satpur, Nashik.
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The Dindori police said they have registered a case, and are conducting further investigations to determine the exact cause of the accident, including whether over-speeding or poor visibility played a role.
Residents of the area have demanded better lighting, speed controls, and improved road maintenance on this stretch, which is known for its sharp turns and inadequate signage.