A horrific accident on the Samruddhi Expressway on Monday-Tuesday night has claimed the life of as many as six persons. The deceased include three of a family who were returning to their hometown, Salod in Wardha district, after dropping off their daughter in Pune for higher education. According to police, traffic on the Nagpur-Mumbai route had slowed down after a tanker carrying ethanol from Chhindwara to Pune overturned near Virul Akaji in Wardha. As a result, the traffic was directed by highway police to another lane.

 

There was ethanol spill on the road. Meanwhile, soon after the traffic was diverted, an Eicher truck loaded with chillies hit a car from behind at interchange (IC) 80. The car got almost crumpled under the truck and both vehicles caught fire within no time. The flames were thick and wild and none of the four people travelling in the car, and driver and cleaner of the truck- could escape the jaws of death. The deceased have been identified as Rajesh Tiple from Salod (Hirapur), his wife Sushma Tiple, daughter Janhavi Tiple and car driver Ankush Raut. The Tiple couple had twin daughters and one of them got admission in MBA college in Pune.

 

The family was returning home after dropping her off in Pune. The truck driver Sanjay Kumar and cleaner Samarjit Pal, both from Uttar Pradesh, were also burnt to death in the accident. As soon as information about the accident was received, Highway Police, Pulgaon Police, rescue teams and fire brigade rushed to the spot and started rescue operation. Senior officers including Superintendent of Police Saurabh Agarwal, too, reached the spot. Rescue team had to take the bodies out of the mangled car with the help of a hydraulic cutter. The bodie were sent to general hospital in Pulgaon. Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Vandana Karkhele, Pulgaon PSO Sadashiv Dhakne, API of Highway Police Station Sarita Yadav, PSI Bhaiyaji Todase, Bharat Pisudde, Ashok Bhoge, Nitin Kakade, members of highway safety team and fire and rescue team provided relief work.