Mumbai: Two dead as birthday bash turns tragic for Kurla boys

The mangled SUV on the Eastern Express Highway. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

A journey to celebrate a birthday turned tragic for a group of boys from Kurla after their car met with an accident in the early hours of Thursday, killing two and injuring seven. The impact of the mishap at Vikhroli on the Eastern Express Highway was so massive that it left their Innova completely mangled.

A total of nine people, mostly teenagers from Qureshi Nagar in Kurla, were on their way to a dhaba in Bhiwandi to celebrate the birthday of one Kaif Qureshi, who turned 18 on Thursday. Just past midnight, the driver, Jundai Qureshi, lost control of the vehicle near Kanjur Gaon. The SUV turned turtle a couple of times before dashing a peepul tree at high speed. The occupants have told the police that it a tyre burst had occurred.

After being alerted by other motorists, the police reached the spot and rush eight of the Innova's occupants to Fortis Hospital at Mulund. The other person was taken to the civic-run Veer Savarkar Hospital, Mulund.

Deceased Junaid Qureshi (left) and Shahid Qureshi

The police said 26-year-old Junaid and one Shahid Qureshi, 18, died of their injuries. While their friend Ayan Qureshi, 18, was grievously wounded, the rest escaped with injuries that are not life-threatening. Most of them have been discharged from the hospital, said the police.

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Sajid Ansari, 17, who was sitting in the middle row and suffered a leg fracture, said, "We were on our way to Bhiwandi to celebrate Kaif's birthday. Suddenly, the car's rear tyre burst. Junaid tried to control the vehicle but everything went black in an instant."

Junaid was a driver, while Shahid worked as a salesman at a footwear store in Lower Parel. The car belongs to Junaid's friend, said the cops. "Junaid was my cousin while Shahid also lived in the same vicinity. The accident is a tragedy for the entire family. Junaid is survived by his brother and parents," said Rizwan Qureshi.

"The car was at high speed and met with the accident when the driver lost control of the vehicle. We have booked the driver for causing death by negligence and for rash driving along with other relevant offences," said Prashant Kadam, deputy commissioner of police, Zone-7.