Nine pilgrims — seven women and two children — were killed when a truck carrying Warkaris — devotees of the annual Pandharpur yatra — fell into the Nira river from a bridge near Satara in the early hours of Tuesday.
Seven others were injured in the accident. One of the injured was in a critical state, police said. The State government announced a compensation of Rs.1 lakh each to the families of the deceased.
The accident occurred when the driver lost control of the vehicle while crossing the river bridge near Lonand village , police said. The truck fell into the river almost 40-feet deep. The Warkaris were from Baramati’s Kambaleshwar village.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar visited the injured in the hospitals in Lonand and Jejuri. “It is unfortunate that innocent pilgrims lost their lives due to the negligence of the driver. We have tried our level best to make the roads better for the Warkaris every year. The police will investigate further into the incident,” Mr Pawar said.
Article source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3547985.ece
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