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Journalism of Courage
A 24-year-old biker was charred to death in a collision between his motorcycle and a Maharashtra state transport bus on the Pune-Bangalore Highway in Satara district on Wednesday evening. The impact of the accident caused both the vehicles to catch fire.
The incident took place around 6.30 pm on the Pune to Satara patch of the highway at the Asale village in the Wai taluka, the police said. The accident spot is located around 90 km from Pune city and 35 km from Satara district headquarters.
The police have identified the deceased as Swapnil Dubal, a resident of Karad. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus was on its way to Sangli from the temple town of Trimbakeshwar in Nashik district when it rammed into the two-wheeler, a police officer said. The Satara police have arrested the bus driver identified as Sambhaji Pawar, 40.
Vishal Bhandare, Sub-Inspector, Bhuinj Police Station, said, “The bus rammed into Dubal’s bike from behind. It also dragged the bike for at least 50 feet. The impact might have caused a short circuit and damage to the fuel tank of the bike causing a fire.”
Bhandare added, “There were around 30 passengers in the bus. All of them managed to get down in time from the rear door as the fire started in the cabin. The biker, who had sustained critical injuries, was charred to death.”
The fire was controlled by two fire tenders which were deployed by the local authorities in Satara. Officials said the accident led to a traffic jam on the Pune-Bangalore highway. The traffic flow was restored after the charred vehicles were taken off the road and the lanes were cleared for traffic.
