A 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 a speeding container trailer, officials said. 13 people were killed and around 20 others were injured.
While condoling loss of lives in the incident, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced compensation of ₹5 lakh each for the families of those who died.
The crash took place around 4 pm near Dhaniwari village in Dahanu taluka. The Eicher tempo, carrying 30–40 passengers, was en route to an engagement ceremony of Balaram Jairam Dandekar from Bapugaon Khadkipada village when the accident happened. Authorities said a motorcycle was also caught in the chain collision after the trailer lost control.
What was meant to be a celebratory 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 travelling on the wrong side of the Mumbai–Gujarat lane, reported PTI.
"Upon reaching Dhaniwari village, a trailer (NL 01 AC 9118) coming from the opposite direction lost control, and its container box collided heavily with the left side of the tempo. A motorcycle (MH 04 EM 8425) was also caught in the pile-up," it mentioned.
It added that 13 people died either at the scene or while being taken to medical facilities.
The statement said emergency response teams and local police reached the spot immediately to carry out rescue operations, extricate victims, and manage traffic on the busy highway.
Palghar accident: Who are those 13 victims?
It 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 Shende, Vandana Shivram Valvi, Saloni Shivram Valvi, Ajay Ahadi, and Riyanshi Santosh Lakhat.
"Fourteen of the injured passengers have been rushed to Vedanta Hospital in Dahanu for intensive medical care, while the remaining injured survivors have been shifted to Kasa Sub-District Hospital for further treatment," the statement noted.
For any further information or assistance, relatives have been advised to contact Dr. Sachin Waghmare at 9421485504, according to the district administration.
President Murmu condoles loss of lives in Palghar accident
President Droupadi Murmu expressed her condolences on Monday over the deaths in a road accident in Maharashtra and wished a speedy recovery for those who were injured.
"The news of the loss of lives in the road accident that occurred in Palghar district of Maharashtra is extremely tragic. I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray for the swift recovery of those injured in this accident," Murmu said in a post on X in Hindi.
Palghar accident probe
Officials said the investigation into the exact cause of the accident is still underway. Police said that the collision was so intense that both the tempo and the container trailer overturned at the site, trapping several passengers beneath the vehicles.
Preliminary findings indicate that the tempo was likely carrying passengers far beyond its permitted capacity. Authorities also suspect that high speed, a narrow road stretch, and the trailer driver losing control contributed to the crash.
After the crash, scenes of chaos unfolded on the busy highway as local residents, police, and rescue teams rushed to the site to pull victims from the wreckage of the damaged vehicles.
Police have filed a case and begun a detailed investigation into the incident.
