Four die in accident on Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Four persons died and three injured as a cement-laden truck jumped the divider and fell on two cars on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway Friday morning.

Due to the impact, one of the car fell into the roadside gorge.

A police official said the truck, heading for Mumbai, jumped the divider and overturned while negotiating a turn and fell on two cars in the opposite lane near Khalapur around 11.45 am.

One of the cars was pushed off the edge of the road and fell down 40 feet into a gorge, he said.

Four passengers died in the mishap, while three persons sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, an official attached to Khapoli police station said.

The condition of two of them was stated to be critical, he added.

Of the deceased, Nikita Angre, Chitra Angre and Pranali Kudekar were travelling in the cars, while Hasan Patel was in the truck.

It is not yet clear whether Patel was driving the truck or was a cleaner (driver's assistant), the official added.