Maharashtra: Car falls off bridge on Mumbai-Goa highway; 5 killed

The victims were travelling from Mira Road in Mumbai to Devrukh to attend a funeral. Read further on Dynamite News

Ratnagiri: A car carrying seven people plunged nearly 100 feet from a bridge into the Jagbudi river on the Mumbai-Goa Highway near Bharne Naka in Ratnagiri district early Monday morning, killing five people.

The victims were travelling from Mira Road in Mumbai to Devrukh to attend a funeral when the tragedy struck around 5:30 am. According to reports, the vehicle veered off the bridge near Khed and fell into the river. Five passengers died on the spot, while two others, including the driver, sustained serious injuries.

Deceased Identified

The deceased have been identified as Medha Parmesh Paradkar, Saurabh Parmesh Paradkar, Mitali Vivek More, Nihar Vivek More and Shreyas Rajendra Sawant. The victims belonged to two families — the Paradkars, residents of Nalasopara, and the Mores, from Mira-Bhayander.

Visuals from the site showed the mangled remains of the car being pulled from the river using a crane. The roof of the vehicle was completely crushed. Local residents, police personnel, and the highway police rushed to the site upon receiving information.

Injured Condition

The injured — Parmesh Paradkar and Vivek More — were initially taken to a hospital in Kalambani. Paradkar was later shifted to Ratnagiri District Government Hospital, while More was also moved to another facility for advanced treatment. Their condition is reported to be critical.

Rescue efforts were supported by locals and officials, including former Khed mayor Vaibhav Khedekar. All the occupants were pulled out of the submerged vehicle before it was lifted from the riverbed.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.

Earlier Accident

On 12 May at least 13 people were killed and 10 others injured in a head-on collision between two vehicles near Saragaon, around 26km from Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, police sources said.

The accident occurred near Bangoli village when a Mazda vehicle and a trailer collided head-on, police said, adding the deceased included four children and nine women.

Around 50 On Board

Sources said the occupants of one of the vehicles were returning to their village Chataud in Arang, a temple town near Mahasamund city, after attending a religious event in a village. The vehicle was carrying around 50 people when it collided with a high-speed trailer near Bangoli village.

So far, 13 people who lost their lives in the accident have been identified.