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Tragedy struck in Maharashtra's Nashik district on Monday evening as two school students lost their lives in a road accident near the Manmad Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Nandgaon taluka, police said on Tuesday. The incident, involving a truck and a two-wheeler, led to public outrage and a brief road blockade by local residents.
According to the police, the accident occurred when a truck transporting fodder from Chandwad to Manmad encountered stray animals sitting on the road near Manmad APMC. As the animals suddenly stood up, the truck driver swerved to avoid them, inadvertently hitting a two-wheeler carrying two Class 10 students.
The victims, identified as Vaishnavi Pravin Kekan and Aditya Mukesh Solse, both aged 15, were students of Swami Vivekanand Vidyalaya and residents of Hanuman Nagar in Manmad town. The impact of the collision was so severe that both students died on the spot, police stated.
The driver of the truck, identified as Rakesh Dadaji Khairnar, was later detained by the police.
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The tragic incident sparked anger among the local residents, who staged a 'rasta roko' (road blockade) near the accident site, disrupting traffic flow for a brief period. The residents expressed their frustration over the presence of stray animals on the road and demanded immediate measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
A local resident said, "The authorities must take steps to ensure stray animals do not roam on busy roads. This accident could have been avoided if proper measures were in place."
The police have initiated an investigation into the accident and are looking into the negligence that led to the tragedy. Meanwhile, the bodies of the deceased students were handed over to their families after post-mortem examinations.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by stray animals on roads, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, and the need for stringent measures to address the issue.
The Nashik district administration has assured the public that steps will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. However, the grieving families and the local community continue to demand accountability and prompt action to ensure road safety.
(With inputs from PTI)
