Pune: In two separate accidents in Kolhapur, a total of 19 persons, including 12 members of a family, from Pune, died on Friday.
The 12 family members were returning from a religious ritual at Ganpatipule in Ratnagiri when their bus fell down in Panchganga river in Kolhapur. Six others, who were going to Ganpatipule, were killed when their speeding car hit a mango tree near Amba.
The Kedari family from Balewadi lost 12 members in the mishap.
A pall of gloom had descended in Balewadi Gaothan on Saturday when news of the death of 12 members of Kedari family reached the village. The driver of the bus was also killed.
The deceased persons have been identified as Santosh Baban Warkhade (45), Gauri Santosh Warkhade (16), Dnyaneshwari Santosh Warkhade (14), all residents of Pirangut, Sachin Bharat Kedari (34), Nilam Sachin Kedari (28), Sanskruti Sachin Kedari (8), Sanidhya Sachin Kedari (9 months), Sahil Dilip Kedari (14), Bhavana Dilip Kedari (35), Shravani Dilip Kedari (11), Chhaya Dinesh Nangare (41), Pratik Dinesh Nangare (14), all residents of Balewadi Gaothan, and Mahesh Kuchekar of Hinjawadi, who was driving the Tempo Travellor bus.
Those injured have been identified as Prajakta Dinesh Nangare (18), Manisha Santosh Warkhade (38) and Manda Bharat Kedari (54).
According to Kolhapur district police, deceased Chhaya Nangare and injured Manisha Warkhade were sisters of Sachin Kedari, who operated tours and travels business in Pune.
On Friday early morning, 15 members from Kedari, Warkhede and Nangare families had left Pune for Ganpatipule to perform a religious ritual for Sachin and Nilam's son Sanidhya.
Shital Nagre, Chhaya's mother-in-law, said, “The pilgrimage was planned on Friday as it was a holiday since most family members are busy with work or school of children. As per the plan, they visited the temple at Ganpatipule and then they were returning to Pune via Kolhapur.”
Sachin's brother Dilip had stayed back as he didn't get leave from his company. Their father Bharat Kedari was also at home. Both of them rushed to Kolhapur when they came to know about the accident at around 5 am.
Driver lost control of bus
Police officials said that the accident took place at around 11.45 pm. The driver lost control and the bus fell down about 100 feet in the river, after breaking railings on the bridge over Panchganga river. Local residents, fire brigade, police and members of NGO White Army managed to pull out the passengers and rushed them to a nearby hospital, where 13 persons were declared dead on arrival.
An FIR against the driver Kuchekar was registered at the Karveer police station in Kolhapur.
Rs 5 lakh compensation for deceased
Senior police officers along with Kolhapur district guardian minister Chandrakant Patil, MP Dhananjay Mahadik visited the accident spot. Patil announced help of Rs 5 lakh for the kin of the deceased persons.
Six persons including 3 techies dead
Six persons including three techies died in an accident when their speeding SUV rammed into a mango tree near Amba, on Kolhapur-Ratnagiri border, on Friday morning. Police said that the car's speedometer was locked at 115 km/hr speed. They were going for a pilgrimage to Ganpatipule in Ratnagiri district.
Police have identified the deceased persons as Santosh Trimbak Raut (37), his wife Snehal (32), their son Swanand (5), all residents of Shevalewadi near Hadapsar, Deepak Budhaji Shelkande (40), his son Pranav (3), both residents of Sai Park in Dighi, and Prashant Sadashiv Patankar (40) of Pimple Gurav.
Patankar's wife Varuna (40), daughter Yadnya (3) are injured and admitted to a hospital for treatment. Patankar was driving the car.
The accident took place at around 11 am at a sharp turn at Talavade village near Amba on Kolhapur - Ratnagiri road in Shahuwadi taluka. They had left Pune on Friday around 6 am.
According to the police, the impact was so severe that five persons died on the spot, while Patankar succumbed to injuries later in Kolhapur.
Santosh, Deepak and Prashant worked with an IT firm located on Senapati Bapat road here. Santosh hailed from Latur while Shelkande was from Junnar.
The bodies reached Pune around 5 pm and the last rites were performed immediately.
