3 killed, 6 injured as truck crushes people sleeping on footpath in Pune

PUNE: Two toddlers and a man were killed and six other persons injured after a truck ran over people sleeping on a footpath in Maharashtra's Pune city in the wee hours of Monday, police said.

The incident took place at 12.55 am on the footpath in Wagholi area where several persons were sleeping, they said.

The victims comprised labourers and their family members hailing from Amravati. The labourers had come to Pune a couple of days back in search of jobs, the police said.

The truck driver, identified as Gajanan Totre (26), was arrested after the incident and his medical test was being done to ascertain if he was driving under the influence of alcohol, an official said.

"There were many people sleeping on the footpath near Kesnand Phata area, most of them labourers. They were run over by a truck, leading to the death of three persons, " a senior police official said.

The deceased have been identified as Vaibhavi Pawar (1), Vaibhav Pawar (2) and Vishal Pawar (22), the police said.

The six injured persons - Janki Pawar (21), Rinisha Pawar (18), Roshan Bhosale (9), Nagesh Pawar (27), Darshan Vairal (18) and Aalisha Pawar (47) - were admitted to the Sassoon General Hospital, they added.

Pune Additional Commissioner of Police (East Region) Manoj Patil said the truck driver lost control over the wheels near Wagholi police station and rammed his vehicle into several people sleeping on the footpath at 12.55 am.

"Prima facie, the people who were injured and died were labourers and their family members from Amravati district. They came to Pune just two days ago in search of jobs, " he said.

"We arrested the truck driver from the spot. We are also probing other facts of the accident. A case has been registered against the truck driver under all relevant sections. A medical test is underway to verify if he was drunk when the accident took place, " the official said.