Dawn broke with devastation on Maharashtra’s Malegaon-Manmad road as a head-on bus-pickup clash near Varhane village killed four and wounded more than 20 early Monday.
The Pune travels bus bore the brunt, its structure breached by the intruding van. Scenes of horror unfolded: passengers crushed in seats, flung about, four succumbing immediately. Critical cases among the injured number two, with others nursing lighter wounds.
Rescuers—police and good Samaritans—mobilized fast, extracting survivors after intense efforts and racing them to Malegaon Civil Hospital.
Traffic halted amid the probe, with wreckage removal restoring flow. Speeding or dozing at the wheel are prime suspicions in the ongoing inquiry.
This follows closely on Pune’s January 14 toll, where young sisters Rituja and Neha Shinde met untimely ends. Amid mounting fatalities, experts urge comprehensive reforms in vehicle maintenance, road design, and enforcement to safeguard lives.