Aurangabad, May 25:
Five persons died while two injured as a pick-up jeep dashed a Maharashtra State Road Transport Company (MSRTC) bus at Gade Jalgaon Phata on Jalna Road on Wednesday evening.
The deceased have been identified as Lahu Jyotiram Rathod (50, Renukanagar), Ashok Jaisingh Chavan (Satara Tanda), Ranjeet Jaisingh Chavan (Satara Tanda), Shantilal Hari Chavan (Satara Tanda), Lata alias Parubai Dnyaneshwar Jadhav (40, Rajnagar, Beed By-pass). Similarly, Vikas Dhere, Rohit Vikas Dhre (both near Guru Lawns, Beed By-pass) were injured.
A pickup jeep (MH 21 BH 4331) was coming from Jalna towards Aurangabad with the labourers in it. The driver of the jeep lost control and dashed on a MSRTC Pune - Kalamnuri bus (MH13 CU 6838) going towards the direction of Jalna. As both the vehicles were in speed, there was huge noise after the dash. All the persons in the jeep were labourers of a private construction company and were returning home from the work. The jeep was completely crushed.
The Karmad Police Station PI Rajendra Bodke and his team on receiving the information rushed to the spot and sent the injured to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in an ambulance. Sub-divisional police officer Jaidutta Bhavar also visited the spot and issued directives to the officers. The traffic was jammed on both the sides of the road. The police cleared the traffic.
The MSRTC bus belonged to the Kalamnuri depot and was going from Pune to Kalamnuri. It had 46 passengers, of which around 5 passengers were also injured. They are being treated at the District Hospital in Aurangabad. The driver Khanduji Lakhande also sustained minor injuries.
The accident was so severe that the Bolero Pick-up jeep was completely crushed. The deceased were trapped in the jeep. The driver was trapped in the steering of the jeep, the witnesses said.
The passengers in the jeep were the labourers of a private construction company and they used to go in jeep every day from Aurangabad.