2 killed, 12 injured as speeding bus hits truck on Chandrapur-Nagpur highway

CHANDRAPUR: Two persons were killed and 12 critically injured after a speeding passenger bus collided head-on with a truck coming from the opposite direction near Ratnamala Square in Warora on Chandrapur-Nagpur national highway on Friday evening.
The deceased included drivers of both the vehicles, while the injured are learnt to be the bus passengers.
There were 35 passengers in the bus. Rescued passengers said bus driver Sabir Khan was driving at breakneck speed and did not heed their pleas to slow down. Khan lost the control near Ratnamala Square and the bus rammed an electric pole on the road divider, before hitting the truck, they said.
The front cabin of the bus and truck turned into a mangled heap of metal. Cops had to use excavator and crane to pull them apart.
Both the bus and truck drivers died on the spot. Identity of the deceased truck driver was yet to be known.
A gas cutter had to be used to break a section of metal panel on side of the bus to rescue two passengers identified as Saraswati Dahule and Prachi Bagade.
The other injured have been identified as Bhojraj Bagesar, Santosh Garghate, Praveen There, Seema Borekar Pranali Kankate, Sangeeta Kubde, Sanjana Garghate, Suraj Dhote, Anita Parchake and Rukhmabai Purke. They all have been admitted to Chandrapur GMCH.
Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ayush Nopani and police inspector, Warora, Deepak Khobragade rushed to the spot along with the police team. The rescue operation lasted for over an hour. The traffic on the road was blocked for over two hours.
State rehabilitation minister and district guardian minister Vijay Wadettiwar was in Nagpur when reports about the accident reached him. He immediately called collector, SDPO and civil surgeon to provide necessary help and medical treatment to the injured persons.