Pune road accident kills 3 women pilgrims, injures 4 others
Three women participating in the Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage were killed and four others critically injured after a truck carrying a group of pilgrims ran into them on the Saswad-Jejuri road in Pune district early Monday morning.
The Pune Rural police reported that the truck, which was transporting Warkaris from Nanded district, struck a group of pilgrims from Kasbedigraj in Sangli district near the Belsar toll plaza, approximately 500 metres from Jejuri town in Purandar taluka.
“The injured women have been taken to a hospital in Jejuri for treatment. Preliminary investigations suggest the driver lost control at high speed, causing the vehicle to run over multiple Warkaris,” a police officer said.
The Ashadhi Wari is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by devotees of the Varkari sect to the town of Pandharpur. Thousands of pilgrims, known as Warkaris, walk to the temple of Lord Vitthal during the month of Ashadha (June-July). Such accidents are not uncommon during the pilgrimage due to the large number of vehicles and pedestrians sharing the roads.
Authorities have registered a case and are investigating the incident. The driver of the truck is reportedly absconding. The victims' families have been informed, and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.
