Toll in Maharashtra accident climbs to 13

Dhule: Thirteen people were killed and 21 injured in a head-on collision between a container truck and a state transport bus, police said here on Monday.

The crash took place late on Sunday near Neemgud village in Dhule district, according to Dhule Control Room official Dharmendra Mohite.

"The bus was headed to Aurangabad when the frontal collision took place on the Shahada-Dondaiche Road. The drivers of both vehicles were killed," Mohite told IANS.

The victims have been identified as: Shakeel M. Bagwan, Prerana S. Vanjari, Saurav S. Vanjari, Idris N. Maniar, Vrushali D. Bhavsar, Tejas D. Bhavsar, Sanjay T. Alakari, Suyog B. Nahata and bus driver Mukesh N. Patil (all from Shahada, Nandurbar district).

The other dead include Hastik A. Wakchaure (Thane), Manisha M. Baghal (Dhule), Somnath Patil (Jalgaon) and container driver Santosh Karbhari (Aurangabad).

Mohite said that the work of performing autopsies and handing over the bodies to the relatives was underway.