Five Killed And 2 Injured As Car Plunges Into River In Ratnagiri News24 –

A devastating road mishap occurred early Sunday morning on the Mumbai-Goa Highway in Maharashtra, resulting in the deaths of five individuals and leaving two others critically injured. The accident took place near Rajapur in the Ratnagiri district when a speeding car veered off a bridge and plunged onto a dry riverbed below.

According to local police officials, the family was taking route to a wedding function in Rajapur from Pune. The driver is believed to have lost control of the car, causing it to crash through the side railing of the bridge. The impact of the fall was so severe that five of the passengers died on the spot, while two others sustained serious injuries.

Locals who heard the crash immediately rushed to the scene and notified authorities. Emergency services, including police and fire brigade personnel, arrived swiftly to carry out rescue operations. The injured victims were pulled from the wreckage and transported to a nearby hospital for urgent medical treatment.

All seven passengers were members of the same family, adding a layer of heartbreak to the tragedy. The deceased include two children, highlighting the scale of the loss. The police have sent the bodies for postmortem and have initiated a case to probe the exact cause of the accident.

Initial assessments suggest that the driver may have been speeding or may have encountered a mechanical failure. However, the exact reason will be confirmed only after further investigation. The damaged state of the bridge’s railing has also raised concerns about road safety standards on this highway, which has been the site of numerous fatal accidents in the past.

This tragedy has once again brought attention to the pressing need for better maintenance and safety measures on the Mumbai-Goa Highway. Locals and activists are urging the government to take stronger action to prevent such avoidable accidents in the future.

The incident has left the Rajapur community and the victim’s relatives in deep mourning, as preparations for a celebration have turned into arrangements for multiple funerals.