At least 23 people have been killed in two separate road accidents in India. A horrific multi-vehicle collision on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Maharashtra's Palghar district claimed at least 13 lives and left over 25 others injured.
In a separate incident in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district, a head-on collision between a truck and a van left 10 people dead, including the van driver.
Reports indicate that the Maharashtra accident occurred on Monday (May 18) on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in the Palghar district, involving a container truck, a tempo carrying wedding guests, and a motorcycle.
Officials stated that 11 of the injured succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment at the Kasa Sub-District Hospital, while two others died at the Vedanta Hospital in Dahanu.
The passengers were traveling from Bapugaon in Dahanu to Dhanivari to attend an engagement ceremony.
According to preliminary information, the tempo—which was carrying over 40 passengers—was driving on the wrong side of the highway to avoid a one-kilometer detour.
At around 4:00 PM, a container truck heading toward Mumbai from Gujarat lost control near a village stretch.
The container portion of the truck violently struck the left side of the tempo, trapping a nearby motorcycle in the wreckage.
Police reported that the truck subsequently overturned and landed on top of the tempo, leaving many passengers trapped inside.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his condolences to the victims' families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. He also announced a compensation of 500,000 rupees each for the families of the deceased.
"The loss of 13 lives in the collision between a tempo and a container on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in the Dahanu area is extremely tragic. I am deeply saddened by this incident," Fadnavis wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Palghar Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh stated that initial findings suggest the accident was caused by the tempo driver's error, though a detailed investigation remains underway.
Meanwhile, the Palghar district administration has ordered a formal inquiry to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Local Member of Parliament Hemant Savara and senior police officials visited the spot, and the administration has assured that proper medical care is being provided to the injured.
Head-On Collision Kills 10 in Uttar Pradesh
In a separate tragedy, police confirmed that 10 people, including the driver, were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh.
The accident occurred on Monday on the Shisaiya-Lakhimpur National Highway, between the villages of Unchgaon and Bharehta. The van was traveling from Lakhimpur toward Shisaiya at the time of the crash.
Dhaurahra Circle Officer (CO) Shamsher Bahadur Singh stated that all nine passengers and the driver inside the van lost their lives in the accident.
Lakhimpur Kheri District Magistrate Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided head-on with an oncoming truck.
Nine individuals died on the spot, while further details regarding the investigation will be shared as the inquiry concludes.
