Washim: Three passengers in a private travels bus were killed and 20 others sustained injuries after the vehicle collided head-on with an oncoming truck near Pedgaon in Washim district on Nagpur–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar highway early on Wednesday morning. Condition of five passengers is reported to be critical.According to police, the accident took place between 7am and 7:30am when a Sindh Travels bus, en route from Pune to Paratwada. The truck was going from Nagpur to Sambhaji Nagar. Near Pedgaon, the truck driver lost control over the steering after one of the tyres of his vehicle burst. The truck swerved to the right and collided with the bus coming from the opposite direction. Following the impact, the truck overturned. Mukesh Vitthal Nate (36), a resident of Akot in Akola district, died on the spot. The bus driver Ashok Wankhade (55), also from Akot, succumbed to injuries during treatment, so did his co-driver, whose identity could not be ascertained. The truck driver sustained severe injuries.Five of the critically injured have been shifted to hospitals in Akola and Amravati, while the remaining are being treated at medical facilities in Karanja and Washim.Following the accident, traffic on the busy highway came to a standstill for several hours.
