Three pilgrims (warkari) of Ashadhi Wari were killed and 10 injured when a truck rammed into a group of pilgrims walking on the road in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Monday, police said.
The accident occurred on Saswad Jejuri Road when one of the Wari trucks ran into the warkari group walking on the road. According to the Pune Police, the truck was carrying warkaris from Nanded district, while the group came from Kasbedigraj in Sangli district.
The injured have been taken to a hospital in Jejuri. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar visited the Rural Hospital in Jejuri, met the survivors and reviewed the treatment being provided.
A police official said during the preliminary probe it was found that the truck lost control at high speed.
Every year, Wari, a religious social procession is held in Maharashtra. It departs from Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj’s Palkhi from Alandi on July 8 and Sant Tukaram Maharaj’s Palkhi from Dehu on July 7 and passes through heart of Pune to reach Pandharpur by July 24, celebrating Ashadhi Ekadashi on July 25.
The deceased are: Rajshree Shankar Bhosale (62, a resident of Digraj), Madhavi Rajaram Sarwade (55, a resident of Malgaon) and Nanda Pawar (52, a resident of Digraj), all from Sangli district.
“The post-mortem of the deceased is being conducted at the Rural Hospital, Jejuri and arrangements have been made to send the bodies to their native villages,” said an official from State Health department.
The survivors, Geetabai Shelar (70), Shailaja Dinkar Jagtap ( 60) and Mangal Vilas Patil ( 70) along with other injured pilgrims are undergoing treatment at the Rural Hospital, Jejuri.
Seven seriously injured pilgrims have been admitted to Anandi Hospital, Jejuri, and one of them has been referred to Sassoon Sarvoopchar Hospital for further treatment.
“All the injured pilgrims are being treated free of cost under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and necessary medicines, tests and expert medical services are ensured,” the official said
