Pune, 13

Nov (HS): Seven people died and 20 others injured in a shocking accident near

Navle Bridge in Pune on the Pune-Bengaluru Highway. Two containers and a car

were involved in the accident. The car between the two containers was

completely mangled into a heap of metal. Fire broke out in both the containers.

The fire spread engulfing other vehicles on the highway.

As per

preliminary reports one of the containers hit many vehicles following brake

failure. Rattled by the brake failure the driver hit the other container with a

car between them. The impact was so hard that the car exploded causing the fire.

The car is said to have three people of a family and a container had the driver

and helper. In other container three people were travelling. Six people died on

the spot, including all three in the ill-fated car. Twenty others received

serious injuries.

The

injured have been shifted to a hospital near the accident site. The number of

deaths may increase.

The

traffic on the highway was stopped. The vehicles going towards Mumbai were

directed via Katraj and Satara. Fire tenders were engaged in controlling the

fire.

The

container which caused the accident due to the brake failure has registration

number of Rajasthan. It hit 40 to 50 small and big vehicles, including a bus,

before the major accident.

Police have initiated investigation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar