Three youths returning with Tuljabhavani Devi's flame killed as container truck hits bike near Khultabad
Three youths from Khultabad taluka died and another was seriously injured when a speeding container rammed their bike on the Beed-Solapur national highway on Saturday night.
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A tragic accident has occurred just before the start of Navratri. A speeding container rammed the bike of youths who were returning to their village with the sacred flame of Goddess Tuljabhavani from Shrikshetra Tuljapur. Three youths died, while another is seriously injured.
The incident took place at around 8.30 pm on Saturday on the Beed-Solapur national highway in the Pimpalgaon Pandhri area. Grief has descended on the entire Khultabad taluka after the accident.
According to the information available, some youths from Golegaon and Jafrabadwadi in Khultabad taluka had gone to Tuljapur to bring the flame of Goddess Tuljabhavani. After having darshan of the Goddess, they set out for their village with the flame. Some of the youths were running with the flame, while two youths supplying the oil needed for the flame were accompanying them on a bike.
The registration number of the bike was MH 20 CS 0074. In the Pimpalgaon Pandhri area of the Beed-Solapur national highway, a speeding container coming from behind rammed the bike. The impact was so severe that the bike got stuck under the container, which is reported to have dragged it along the road for a full 5 km.
Akshay Rajput, a resident of Jafrabadwadi, died on the spot in the accident. Akshay ran a garage at Katsheri Phata. Amol Aute and Gorakh Mhaskar of Golegaon, who were seriously injured, were admitted to the Ghati hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for treatment, but both died during treatment.
A youth named Shubham Adhane has also been seriously injured in the accident and is undergoing treatment in hospital. The families of the dead youths have been struck by grief in the accident, which happened on the journey home with the Goddess's flame.
According to the information available, the container driver fled the spot with the vehicle after the accident. Police reached the spot on learning of the incident and began relief work. The injured youth was rushed to hospital for treatment. A case has been registered at Karmad police station late on Saturday night.
The villages, busy with Navratri preparations, are plunged in mourning. There is an atmosphere of grief across the area over the deaths of the youths who had set out to bring the Goddess's flame. Friends of the dead youths, along with their families, are grief-stricken. The accident has once again raised the question of the danger posed by speeding vehicles on the highway.
