Deolapar, Nagpur: A tragic accident occurred in the early hours of Monday when a cruiser vehicle carrying South Indian pilgrims to the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj crashed into a stationary container truck on the Nagpur-Jabalpur National Highway. The accident took place around 2 am near Chorbahuli village, under the jurisdiction of Deolapar police station (Ramtek taluka). One pilgrim lost his life, while 11 others sustained serious injuries.

The container truck had reportedly broken down and was parked on the roadside. However, no safety measures were taken to alert other vehicles, such as warning signs or reflective markings. This made the truck nearly invisible in the darkness, leading to the high-speed collision. Locals rushed to the scene to help the injured before authorities arrived.

Of the 11 injured, nine were critically hurt and shifted to a hospital in Nagpur for advanced treatment. The victims have been identified as Ravindra Narayan Gachiramani (55), Chandrakala Ravindra Gachiramani (54), Sarala Ramchandra Digwal (60), Kaveri Vinod Digwal (35), Aarti Rangappa Reddy (45), Anita Arunkumar Digwal (33), Surekha Gangaram Jaybiye (55), Sharanappa Shivraya Dapure (30), and Aradhya Vinod Higalwar (9), all residents of Padelwada-Mangalpeth, Bidar district, Karnataka. Meanwhile, Sudhakar Dingbar Suran (65) and Laxmi Sudhakar Suran (45) were treated and later discharged.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. The lack of proper safety measures on highways, especially for stranded vehicles, has raised concerns about road safety.