Rohan Umak
Thane Eeco-Mixer road accident: A devastating road accident unfolded on Monday morning in the Thane district of Maharashtra, where a passenger van rammed headlong into a cement mixer, claiming the lives of 11 persons. According to officials, the spine-chilling accident occurred near Panjar bridge on the Kalyan-Ahilyanagar highway at 11:15 am, sending shockwaves across the district.
Initial reports suggest that a black-and-yellow Eeco taxi was ferrying residents from Murbad en route to Kalyan when it rammed into a cement mixture, approaching from the opposite direction. As per reports, the collision was so fierce that the van was reduced to a mangled heap of metal remains, leaving no room for the passengers to escape.
11 dead, one grievously injured
According to authorities, of the 12 passengers on board, 11 died on the spot, while one person, a female senior citizen, managed to survive. However, she has sustained grievous injuries and has been admitted to a nearby hospital, where she remains under intensive care.
The eyewitnesses termed the crash ‘terrifying’, saying that the passengers had no time to react before the collision. Moreover, the van was wrecked so terribly that identifying its structure proved difficult for the rescue teams.
Thane Eeco-Mixer road accident: Locals rush to aid, police probe on
After hearing the deafening crash, the locals rushed to the scene and began rescue efforts even before the emergency teams arrived. With heavy hearts, they assisted in retrieving bodies trapped within the twisted remains of the vehicle.
Meanwhile, Titwala police station personnel rushed to the scene and initiated the panchnama process. Owing to the crash, the traffic along the busy highway suffered for some time, as authorities persevered in efforts to clear the wreckage.
Cause behind accident still not known
Police said that the exact cause behind the collision is still under investigation, while possibilities such as overspeeding and error from the driver’s end are also under scrutiny. No official confirmation, however, has been made so far. The nine persons who died have been identified as Bablu Rupesh Chandane, Bhushan Ghorpade, Jija Govinda Kembari, Ananta Pawar, Deepak Gavli, Ganpat Jainu Madhe, Sneha Mohpe, Mansi Mohpe and Prathamesh Mohpe. Their post-mortem examinations are still on, the police said.
The authorities added that the death toll may rise, as the probe continues into one of the region’s most harrowing road tragedies in recent times.
