The tragedy occurred when the six devotees were returning home after offering prayers at the temple during Navaratra.
“The driver, Pratik Arvind Adkine (26), and two passengers travelling in the cabin, Datta Manohar Meshram (35) and Yashwant Arvind Patil (25), escaped with minor injuries. Rahul Sudhakar Thakre (25) and Pritam Ramrao Pradhan (38) died on the spot, while Babarao Dnyanoba Tekam (60) succumbed to injuries during treatment at a rural hospital,” police said. The group had left Yavatmal around 10.30pm on Thursday, visited the temple at midnight and began their return journey in the early hours of Friday.
The tempo was negotiating the first sharp turn of the ghat section when the driver was allegedly blinded by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle, according to inspector Devidas Chopade of Mahur police. “While attempting to give way, he lost control and the vehicle veered off the road into the deep gorge,” the inspector said. The accident occurred when the six devotees were returning home after offering prayers at the temple during Navaratra. Three devotees travelling in the rear carrier were, however, thrown out during the fall and were crushed by rocks and the vehicle. Residents alleged that several turns along Kiroli Ghat lacked crash barriers or protective walls, raising fresh concerns over safety on the accident-prone stretch.