A tragic road accident on the Samruddhi Expressway in Maharashtra’s Jalna district claimed the lives of seven women and left four others seriously injured after a speeding truck rammed into a mini-truck carrying labourers. The incident occurred near Kadwanchi village and has once again brought attention to concerns over road safety and reckless driving on high-speed corridors.
According to initial reports, the victims were labourers engaged in work related to the expressway and were travelling in a mini-truck pickup vehicle. The vehicle had around 11 people on board, including the driver. As it was about to move, a truck travelling at high speed towards Mumbai crashed into it from behind with great force.
The impact of the collision was devastating. Seven women died on the spot, while four others sustained critical injuries, including severe head trauma and fractures. Eyewitnesses described the aftermath as chaotic, with victims thrown off the vehicle due to the force of the crash.
Local residents were among the first to respond, rushing to help the injured and alerting emergency services. Police teams and ambulances quickly reached the scene and began rescue operations. The injured were initially taken to the district general hospital in Jalna and later shifted to a private hospital for advanced medical treatment, where they remain under close observation.
Preliminary investigations suggest that overspeeding and negligence on the part of the truck driver may have caused the accident. Police have taken the driver into custody and registered a case of culpable homicide. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact sequence of events and identify any additional lapses.
The deceased have been identified as Alkabai Dadarao Admane (45), Laxmibai Santosh Madan (35), Meenabai Parmeshwar Admane (45), Kanchanbai Prakash Admane (50), Tarabai Gahenaji Chaudhary (60), Kadubai Ramdas Madan (55), and Sumanbai Kachru Admane (70). All of them were residents of nearby villages and worked as labourers.
Those injured include Prayagbai Babasaheb Wagh (30), Kavita Vitthal Chaudhary (35), Dinesh Ranganath Gaikwad (42), and an unidentified woman aged around 50. Doctors have indicated that several of them suffered serious head injuries and require continued monitoring.
Senior officials and public representatives visited both the accident site and the hospital. Local MLA Arjun Khotkar met the injured and assured support to the victims’ families. District Collector Ashima Mittal and Superintendent of Police Ajaykumar Bansal also reviewed the situation and directed authorities to expedite relief efforts and the investigation.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep grief over the loss of lives and described the incident as extremely unfortunate. He announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh for the families of each deceased and assured that the state government would extend all necessary assistance.
The incident has raised serious questions about the enforcement of traffic rules and safety measures on major expressways. As the investigation continues, authorities are expected to focus on stricter regulation and preventive measures to reduce the risk of such fatal accidents in the future.
