Palghar accident: Tempo semi-trailer collision kills 13, injures 20; CM Fadnavis announces ex-gratia to relatives of victims

The tragic road accident occurred on Monday on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district when a tempo carrying guests to an engagement ceremony collided with an express container trailer, officials said. 13 people were killed and about 20 others were injured.

While condoling the loss of life in the incident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the compensation ₹5 thousand for the families of the deceased.

The accident took place around 4 pm near Dhaniwari village in Dahanu taluka. The Eicher tempo with 30-40 passengers was on its way to the engagement ceremony of Balaram Jairam Dandekar of Bapugaon Khadkipada village when the accident happened. Authorities said a motorcycle was also caught in the chain reaction after the trailer lost control.

What should have been a solemn engagement gathering turned into a period of mourning for the affected families.

What did Palghar admin say?

According to a statement from the Palghar district administration, the Eicher tempo (MH 48 DC 7474) was on the wrong side of the Mumbai-Gujarat lane, PTI reported.

“On arrival at Dhaniwari village, a trailer (NL 01 AC 9118) coming from the opposite direction lost control and its container body hit the left side of the tempo heavily. A motorcycle (MH 04 EM 8425) was also caught in the pileup,” it said.

She added that 13 people died either on the spot or while being transported to medical facilities.

The statement said rescue teams and local police rushed to the scene immediately to carry out rescue operations, extricate victims and manage traffic on the busy highway.

Palghar accident: Who are the 13 victims?

He also named the deceased as Suresh Ratna Lakhat, Pandu Ganpat Lakhat, Kalu Govind Lakhat, Sunil Arjun Dandekar, Chima Govind Kurhada, Namita Vitthal Dandekar, Sarika Santosh Lakhat, Ayush Sitaram Lakhat, Sagar Namdev Shivram Valviram, Ajoni Valviram, Vanda Ahadi and Riyanshi Santosh Lakhat.

“Fourteen of the injured passengers were taken to Vedanta Hospital in Dahan for intensive medical care, while the remaining injured survivors were taken to Kasa District Hospital for further treatment,” the statement said.

For any further information or assistance, relatives were advised to contact Dr. Sachin Waghmare at 9421485504, according to the district administration.

President Murmu condoles the loss of lives in the Palghar accident

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday expressed condolence over the dead in a road accident in Maharashtra and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

“The news of the loss of life in the road accident that took place in Palghar district of Maharashtra is extremely tragic. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured in the accident,” Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.

Palghar crash probe

Officials said the investigation into the exact cause of the crash is still ongoing. Police said the collision was so intense that the tempo and container trailer overturned at the scene, leaving several passengers trapped under the vehicles.

Preliminary findings indicate that the tempo was likely carrying passengers far beyond its permitted capacity. Authorities also suspect high speed, a narrow stretch of road and a trailer driver who lost control contributed to the crash.

After the accident, scenes of chaos unfolded on the busy highway as local residents, police and rescue teams rushed to the spot to pull victims out of the wreckage of the damaged vehicles.

The police registered the case and started a detailed investigation.