Wardha: A pickup vehicle carrying members of a Durga festival group met with a serious accident on the Samruddhi Expressway after a truck rammed into it from behind in the early hours of October 2.

The accident occurred at around 1.30 am between Dhamangaon and Pulgaon, approximately 40 km from Wardha, when the group was returning from Shegaon after bringing a Durga idol for the festival.

Around 25 to 30 members from the Somnathe Layout area near Agnihotri College in Wardha had travelled to Shegaon to collect the idol. During their return journey, the pickup vehicle was hit violently from behind by a truck. The impact was so severe that the pickup was reportedly completely mangled.

According to preliminary information, several members were thrown onto the roadside due to the force of the collision. Police rushed to the spot after receiving information about the accident and launched a search operation in the surrounding area to locate people who may have been thrown from the vehicle.

The injured were shifted to nearby hospitals for immediate medical treatment.

Preliminary reports indicate that two to three members may have died in the accident. However, the exact number of fatalities and injured persons was not immediately clear at the time of reporting. Police and rescue teams were continuing their search and assessment of the accident site.