10 warkaris killed in separate road accidents

Ten warkaris,including seven women,were killed in two separate road mishaps on Sunday.

In the first incident,a speeding container knocked down three warkaris,two of whom died on the spot while the third suffered injuries,at Javjibuvachi Wadi near Yevat around 4.30 am. The deceased have been identified as Madhurabai Shyamrao Thorat (65) and Tukaram Sakharam Pandhare (50),both natives of Parbhani district. Anjubai Ganesh Gadade (62),also from Parbhani,has been admitted to a hospital.

According to the complainant,Bhaskar Sheshrao Madne of Parbhani,the palkhi of Sant Tukaram Maharaj going to Pandharpur from Pune halted at Javjibuvachi Wadi near Yevat. The deceased warkaris were part of Shankar Maharaj Dindi in Parbhani.

Around 4 am,the warkaris started walking towards the Sant Tukaram Palkhi on Pune-Solapur Road. But a speeding container headed towards Solapur knocked them near Reliance Petrol pump. The container driver fled after the mishap. Police are on the lookout for him.

In the other incident,about eight warkaris,including six women,were killed when a Karnataka state transport bus ran over them on the Bangalore-Pune Highway at Satkatti near Belgaum.

The bus was going from Belgaum to Chikkodi and its driver lost control due to a punctured tyred. The bus dashed into the warkaris procession around 12.40 pm. The vicitms were from Nilji village in Belgaum. They were walking on the roadside,were on Dindi Yatra to Pandharpur as part of the Devashayani Ekadashi.

Sub-Inspector Basvaraj of the Yamankanmardi police in Belgaum said the bus driver was arrested. The injured were admitted to Belgaum civil hospital for treatment.

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