Rohan Umak
IIT Bombay students’ death: Three students enrolled at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died on Thursday as the SUV car they were travelling in turned turtle multiple times on Mumbai-Pune expressway in the morning hours, the police said. The students, along with their batchmates, had been on a sunrise trip to Khandala, and were on their way back to the institute when the tragedy struck them.
Preliminary findings suggest that the incident unfolded between 8:30 and 9:30 am on Thursday, when the car attempted to overtake a truck. During this, the SUV allegedly lost control and toppled over multiple times, reducing it to a mangled heap of metal remains and trapping the occupants inside.
3 die on spot, others sustain injuries
As per police, six people were on board the ill-fated car. Three of them died on the spot after sustaining grievous injuries. The ones who died have been identified as Omkumar Borse (23) from Nashik, Lay (20) who hailed from Nagpur and Shreyansh Sharma (22), a native of Jaipur.
The condition of the remaining occupants is yet to be confirmed as the authorities are continuing to gather more details about the circumstances surrounding the mishap.
IIT Bombay students’ death: Police probe over-speeding, collision angle
Police officials monitoring the probe suspect that over-speeding may have resulted in the crash. However, they are also investigating whether the SUV brushed against the truck while changing lanes, causing the driver to lose control. According to police reports, the accident occurred shortly after the group crossed the Bhatan tunnel while returning to Powai in Mumbai. The batchmates of the victims told the cops that a possible lane-change collision may have triggered the incident.
FIR yet to be registered
On receipt of the information, emergency services rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations. The authorities said that a probe is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident. Meanwhile, the Panvel Taluka police said an FIR will be registered on the basis of the findings, as investigators examine factors such as road conditions, speed and driver’s control.
