On the Mumbai-Pune expressway early Tuesday, five individuals lost their lives and 43 others sustained injuries, including five critically, after a bus transporting 51 devotees collided with a tractor and veered off the road. The passengers, followers of Lord Vitthal known as Warkaris, were on their way to Pandharpur for the Ashadhi Ekadashi festival when tragedy struck approximately 5.5 kilometers from Panvel, along the Pune-bound lane.
Reports from authorities indicate that the accident occurred when a tractor, driven by 28-year-old Tarvez Salauddin Ahmed from Uttar Pradesh, was speeding in the expressway’s first lane—a prohibited zone for tractors. Approaching from behind, a Jayashree Travels bus operated by Sanjay Patil, 54, attempted to overtake the tractor but lost control during the maneuver, resulting in a collision.
The impact was severe, causing the tractor to skid about 100 feet and break into two pieces, while the bus crashed through the left-side railing and toppled into a 10-15 foot ditch. Tragically, Ahmed and an unidentified passenger in the tractor were killed instantly, along with three bus passengers identified as Gurunath Babu Patil, 70, Ramdas Narayan Mukadam, 70, and Hansabai Hari Patil.
Five passengers from the bus sustained critical injuries: Baburao Dharma Bhoir, 70, Mama Pogya Bhoir, 70, Ganpat Salunkhe, 60, Sanjay Bapurao Patil, 63, and Suman Salunkhe, 60. Another 38 passengers suffered minor injuries, while five miraculously escaped unscathed.
Navi Mumbai Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Vivek Pansare said, “Five persons died in the accident, including two in the tractor and three in the bus. There were 51 people in the bus from Dombivli towards Pandharpur. Forty injured passengers were sent to MGM hospital in Kamothe, and three to a government hospital. Five bus passengers escaped without any injury.” Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the injured at MGM Hospital in Kamothe.
Following the incident, authorities swiftly cleared the vehicles with a crane, reopening traffic on the expressway after a three-hour delay. Multiple agencies, including Highway Traffic Police, IRB Patrolling, CIDCO Fire Brigade, and local police, were involved in the rescue and recovery operations.
Rajaram Patil, son of the deceased Hansabai Hari Patil, shared the community’s annual pilgrimage tradition from Nilje near Dombivli city, where preparations for the Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage begin a week in advance. Reflecting on the tragic loss, he expressed deep sorrow, saying, “All residents from our village go for Wari every year, and this year was no different. When I reached the hospital, I discovered she had passed away. I am overwhelmed with sorrow and find it difficult to put into words.”
