Speeding Bus Crushed Autorickshaw in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, Killing 2 Army Jawans
A tragic event unfolded in Maharashtra’s Nagpur late on Sunday afternoon after an autorickshaw carrying eight Indian Army jawans was struck by a speeding private bus on the Kanhan river bridge near Kamptee town at around 5:30 in the afternoon, resulting in the deaths of two jawans while seven others, including the autorickshaw driver, were injured.
Images captured immediately after the incident show a completely mangled autorickshaw tilted against the dividing barrier on the Kanhan bridge, showcasing the deadly momentum at which the bus collided with it.
Two Army soldiers were killed and 3 seriously injured when a bus collided head-on with the auto they were traveling in near #Nagpur. The soldiers were attached to the Guards Regimental Training Center Kamptee. #IndianArmy pic.twitter.com/TLO6e2gWec
— Dheeraj Fartode (@dheeraj_fartode) June 16, 2024
Shortly after the incident, angry locals vandalized the bus and blocked the Nagpur-Jabalpur highway for about two hours, until senior officials from Nagpur police assured the public of a detailed and strict investigation of the matter. Shortly after, traffic on the bridge normalized and the vehicles were cordoned off.
The Death of 2 Army Jawan’s highlights unsafe road-practices in India
Senior police officials from Nagpur said a group of 15 jawans from the Army’s Guard Regimental Training Center (GRC) at Kamptee, approximately 20 km from Nagpur, had gone shopping to Kanhan in two autos and were on their way back when the private bus belonging to “Paval Travels” collided with one of the autos. According to reports, the bus was enroute to Madhya Pradesh from Nagpur when it struck the auto from behind.
According to police officials, the army jawans involved in the crash have been identified as Vighnesh (deceased), Dheeraj Rai (deceased), Din Pradhan, Shekhar Jadhav, Kumar P. Murugan, Arvind, and Nagaratnam.
The injured, including the auto driver, were taken to the Army’s Guard Regimental Training Center Hospital in Kamptee for preliminary first aid, following which they were referred to Mayo Hospital OPD for extensive treatment.
A jawan of the Indian Army was killed & four others were injured after a speeding private bus collided with the autorickshaw they were travelling in on a bridge in #Nagpur district, Kanhan river bridge near Kamptee town around 5.30 pm, said @NagpurPolice @Dev_Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/txkDLUaKdR
— Praveen Mudholkar (@JournoMudholkar) June 16, 2024
Despite best efforts by doctors’s, critically injured Jawan’s Vighnesh and Dheeraj Rai died from their injuries, while Nagaratnam, currently being treated at the Government Medical College and Hospital in Nagpur, and Kumar P, being treated in a local hospital in Kamptee, are critical. The auto driver, identified as Shankar Kharakban, is also in serious condition.
Police Inspector of Old Kamptee PS, Pramod Pore, told ANI that the cause of the collision has not been determined yet, but strict action will be taken against the bus driver as well as the owner agency of the bus.
