Three pilgrims from Yavatmal die as tempo falls into 100-ft gorge in Mahur ghat

A tempo carrying devotees back to Yavatmal after darshan of Renuka Mata at Shrikshetra Mahur Gad in Nanded district met with an accident in Mahur ghat. The driver lost control and the tempo plunged into a gorge about 100 feet deep. Three people died, while three others, including the driver, suffered minor injuries.

The accident took place at around 5 am on Thursday. The three people sitting in the rear load compartment of the tempo were killed. The three in the cabin, including the driver, were slightly injured. All three of the dead were from Yavatmal. They are Babarao Dnyanoba Tekam (60), Rahul Sudhakarrao Thakre (25) and Pritam Ramrao Pradhan (38). The injured are driver Pratik Arvind Adkine (26), Datta Manohar Meshram (35) and Yashwant Arvind Patil (25).

On receiving the news, Police Inspector Devidas Chopde reached the spot with his team. With the help of local residents, the injured were taken to the rural hospital. A crane was used to pull the tempo out. Sub-Divisional Police Officer Kirankumar Bhondwe also visited the site. Police are investigating the case.

The six men, who worked at a furniture shop in Yavatmal, had come to Mahur on Wednesday night in a Maxximo Jito tempo. They were returning after darshan of Renuka Mata and a programme. At the first dangerous bend of the ghat, behind the Public Works Department (PWD) office, the lights of an oncoming vehicle fell on the driver's eyes. The other vehicle was coming from the wrong direction, so the driver lost control and the tempo fell into the gorge. It has also emerged that there are no railings or crash barriers at this bend for safety.

Road accidents are rising in the state and across the country, and many people are losing their lives in them every day. The Mahur ghat accident has been added to that list, with members of three families who were returning home after darshan not making it back.