7 killed, 3 injured in accident

Pune: Seven persons, including two women, died in an accident after a speeding car lost control and jumped the divider to ram into another car at Karla Phata near Lonavala on the old Pune-Mumbai highway at about 3pm on Sunday. Both cars were crushed and as they were locked from inside, the police had to seek professional help to cut through them from the backside in order to remove the bodies.

All the deceased are from Pune and were headed to Lonavala to enjoy the rains. The deceased have been identified as Rajiv Mohansingh Khushwah, 17; Krushna Ramesh Shirsat, 22; Nikhil Balaji Sarode, 20; Rajiv Jagannath Bahirat, 52; Sonali Rajiv Bahirat 46; Janavi Rajiv Bahirat, 20; and Jagannath Bahirat, 83. Three more persons, also from Pune, were injured and shifted to a hospital. They have been identified as Pratik Sarode, 18; Akash Madane, 17; and Rohit Kad, 20.

Ramdas Ingawale, police inspector, Lonavala rural, said, “The Maruti Swift car  was heading to Mumbai from Pune via the old Pune-Mumbai highway. The driver of the car was speeding and lost control over the wheel and the car broke the divider and entered the Mumbai to Pune lane. It hit a Santro that was heading to Pune. The three people in the Swift car and the family of four in the Santro all died on the spot. Three more who were travelling in the Swift car were injured and have been shifted to Lokmanya Hospital, Nigdi.”

Four members of the Bahirat family had gone to Lonavala on Saturday and were returning to Pune. Seven friends were travelling in the Swift car to Lonavala to enjoy the rains.