Speeding Tanker Rams Mini Bus, Kills 7 Techies In Pune. Driver Arrested

Pune: After seven persons died when their mini bus collided with a water tanker on Pune-Ahmednagar road yesterday, the police have arrested the driver of the water tanker. Those who died, including two women, were software professionals working with different IT firms in the city, senior police officer Sarjerao Patil said today.

Last evening, six persons died on the spot and seven others were injured when the private mini-bus in which they were travelling collided with the water tanker near Lonikand village, about 40 km from. One of the injured persons died at a hospital last night, Inspector Patil said

The victims were returning from a friend's wedding in Ahmednagar district. Mr Patil said when the mini bus reached near Lonikand, the water tanker coming from the opposite direction veered off the road. It then rammed the road divider, jumped on the other side of the road and collided with the bus.

"It seems that the water tanker was being driven in a rash and negligent manner. The tanker driver apparently lost control over the vehicle which then collided with the bus," he said.

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The tanker also hit a car which was behind the bus, he said. The tanker driver, Krushna Kitarwad, 22, was arrested in the early hours today, the police said. Mr Kitarwad has been booked for rash and negligent driving and also for offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, under which the imprisonment may extend up to 10 years.

He has also been booked under relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, the police officer said.

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Sameer Gaikwad, one of the bus passengers who sustained minor injuries in the accident, said, "We all are shocked. We are yet to come to terms with the tragedy."