Three dead, several injured as private bus overturns near Kolhapur

In a tragic incident near Kolhapur city, three members of a Pune family lost their lives, and six others sustained injuries as a Mumbai-bound bus from Goa overturned. The mishap occurred around 2 am on Thursday in the Puikhadi area on Radhanagari Road. The private bus, carrying around 25 passengers, had commenced its journey from Panaji four hours earlier.

According to officials from the Kolhapur district police, the driver struggled to control the bus while negotiating a sharp turn at Puikhadi, resulting in the vehicle tipping over. The Kolhapur fire brigade promptly responded to the scene, rescuing trapped passengers.

“When the bus was negotiating a turn at Puikhadi, located around 10 kilometres from Kolhapur city, the driver could not control the vehicle and turned on its side. Three people from a family in Pune were killed, and at least six others were injured. The nature of the injuries of other passengers is being ascertained. The Kolhapur fire brigade responded to the accident and took out trapped passengers,” said an officer from the Kolhapur police.

The injured individuals were swiftly transported to the Chhatrapati Pramila Raje Civil Hospital in Kolhapur for medical attention. The victims, hailing from Manjari Budruk in Pune, were identified as Nilu Gautam (43), Riddhima Gautam (17), and Sarthak Gautam (13).