State announced ₹5 lakh relief to kin of victims and treatment for the injured

72 lives lost in 11 months, citizens demand action after mishap

- Nadeem Inamdar

PUNE: A drunk driver veered his dumper truck off the road onto a footpath, crushing nine people sleeping on the footpath, killing three, including two toddlers, and injuring six others in Kesnand Wagholi at the wee hours on Monday, officials said.

According to eyewitnesses and police officials, the driver, identified as Gajanan Totre, 26, was under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place and has been arrested and charged with culpable homicide.

The accident took place at 1 a.m. when the speeding dumper travelling from Pune to Ahmednagar suddenly swerved off the road and onto the footpath, where 12 people were sleeping. While nine were hit by the vehicle, the others managed to escape with minor injuries.

The victims were rushed to Sassoon General Hospital, where three of the injured remain in critical condition.

Senior inspector Pandit Rejitwad said, "A case has been filed against the driver. Three persons are dead, six injured and three are critical and admitted to Sassoon hospital. The family who had come from Amravati to Pune in search of casual work were sleeping on the footpath adjoining huts along the roadside when the accident took place."

The deceased have been identified as Vishal Vinod Pawar, 22; Vaibhavi Ritesh Pawar, 1; and Vaibhav Ritesh Pawar, 2. The injured include Janaki Dinesh Pawar, 21; Rinisha Vinod Pawar, 18; Roshan Shashadu Bhosale, 9; Nagesh Nivrutti Pawar, 27; Darshan Sanjay Vairal, 18; and Alisha Vinod Pawar, 47.

A woman relative of the deceased said that the family was forced to relocate in search of work because of their extreme poverty. "We request the government to make some home arrangements for the bereaved family," she said.

Another eyewitness said, "The tragedy has left the hutment dwellers shocked, and a state of panic has gripped the families of labourers."