A Pune–Paranda passenger bus crashed into a roadside tree near Veet in Karmala taluka at about 4.30 am on Thursday, injuring seven passengers, including three women and two girls. Local residents assisted the injured before ambulances and police reached the site.
The vehicle, identified as Patel Travels bus MH 01/CR 7400, had left Pune at about 11 pm on Wednesday for Paranda. According to passengers cited by Sakal – Pune, the bus was travelling towards Karmala when the driver allegedly became drowsy and lost control. The report said the bus then struck a tree beside the road.
The injured passengers included three women, two men and two girls. One girl was reported to be aged between five and six years, while the other was between 12 and 13 years old. One woman suffered a serious injury to her waist, according to preliminary information in the report. The condition of the other injured passengers was not immediately available.
The crash highlights the risks faced by passengers on overnight intercity bus services, where driver fatigue can become a critical road-safety concern. However, the report attributed the suspected drowsiness-related loss of control to passenger accounts, and the official cause of the crash had not been established at the time of publication.
Residents from the surrounding area reportedly rushed to the site after hearing the impact. They helped remove injured passengers from the bus and provided immediate assistance while emergency services were alerted. Ambulances and police later arrived at the location, and the injured were taken to the Karmala sub-district hospital for treatment.
The incident also underlines the importance of rapid local emergency response on routes outside major urban centres. In this case, local residents reached the damaged vehicle before formal emergency services arrived, helping passengers who were trapped or injured inside the bus.
The precise circumstances of the crash, the officially confirmed number of injured passengers and their medical condition were awaiting confirmation from the police. Further details are expected as authorities document the incident and assess the cause of the collision.
