PUNE, July 16: The study tour-cum-picnic of 29 female students of the Agricultural College came to a tragic end when a mishap on the Pune-Solapur Highway claimed the life of their teacher. Eight girls and a teacher were grievously wounded in the mishap.The fourth year students of Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) who were visiting farmers in Sortapwadi and Kunjirwadi villages near Loni Kalbhor as a part of their rural works experience programme, were heading towards Urali Kanchan to visit the residence of one of them when their jeep dashed against a stationary truck near Chaudhari Vasti hamlet around 2.45 pm.Raosaheb Nanasaheb Nagavade, a 45-year-old professor from the Agricultural College who was accompanying the group of 29 students, was killed on the spot.The other injured including Professor K D Chavan, Smita Palve (20), Jyoti Tanawade (20), Sarojini Pawar (20), Arati Vare (20), Archana Kolhe (20) and Anuradha Korde (20), were shifted to the Sassoon hospital by some passers-by.Chavan, Archana and Anuradha were discharged after first aid at the hospital. Smita, Jyoti, Sarojini and Arati, who suffered several deep injuries, were later shifted to a private hospital. The hospital authorities said they were out of danger.The 29 girls, who have been provided with accommodations at the Gramsevak Prashikshan Kendra at Manjari village, had left the hostel early in the morning to visit the nearby Kunjirwadi and Sortapwadi villages.The girls were expected to stay at these villages and supervise the functioning of 29 farmers for the next four months as part of their rural programme.Nagavade and Chavan were scheduled to introduce the girls to the farmers who were co-operating in carrying out the programme, said B S Gaikwad, acting principal of the Gramsevak Prashikshan Kendra.Swati Thorat, a student travelling in the ill-fated jeep, recalled that the girls were heading towards Urali Kanchan after meeting some farmers at Sortapwadi when the incident took place.``It all happened in a flash. We started screaming as our jeep dashed against a truck parked along the road. Nagavade lay still on the front seat while we scrambled out the jeep. Some of the girls were profusely bleeding and we did not know what to do. A considerate jeep driver shifted us. Nagavade was dead by the time we reached here,'' she shuddered.Gani Abbas Shaikh, a 30-year-old jeep driver from Urali Kanchan who shifted the victims said he was heading towards Pune when he noticed the profusely bleeding girls standing at the accident spot. ``Gauging the seriousness of the situation, I immediately asked my passengers to alight and shifted the injured to the hospital,'' he said.
