Six killed in multi-vehicle collision on Mumbai-Agra Highway in Maharashtra

At least six people were killed and more than two dozen injured in a major multi-vehicle accident on the Mumbai-Agra Highway near Dhule in Maharashtra early Monday, officials said.

The crash took place at Laling Ghat after a dumper truck collided with a goods vehicle, triggering a chain of events that turned deadly when a speeding passenger bus lost control and rammed into the accident site.

According to officials, local residents and toll plaza employees had begun rescue operations after the initial collision when the bus, travelling from Madhya Pradesh, crashed into the damaged vehicles and people gathered at the scene.

A toll plaza employee assisting with the rescue efforts was among those killed in the second collision.

Officials said six people died in the accident, while around 26 others sustained injuries. The injured were rescued and shifted to the District Hospital for treatment.

Police and emergency response teams rushed to the spot soon after the incident. Traffic on the busy highway was disrupted for several hours as rescue operations and clearance work continued.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, while further details are awaited.

In a separate incident in Maharashtra, eight people were killed after a sports utility vehicle plunged into a deep gorge in Raigad district earlier in the day.

Rescue teams have so far recovered two bodies, which have been sent for post-mortem examination, while efforts to retrieve the remaining victims continue. Officials said rescue operations were being hampered by the depth and difficult terrain of the gorge.

With IANS inputs