Warkari killed, 22 others injured as truck hits their tractor in Maha

A 'warkari', devotee of Lord Vitthal, were killed and 22 others were injured after a vegetable-laden tempo rammed into their tractor-trolley on the Pune-Bengaluru highway in Maharashtra's Satara district on Sunday, police said.

The workers from Kolhapur were on their way to Pune to join the annual 'palkhi' procession, as part of the 'wari' tradition under which the 'padukas' (holy footwear) of saints Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar is taken to Pandharpur in Solapur district.

The accident took place around 3 am near Shirval village, when 43 workers were on their way to Alandi in neighboring Pune, the police said ''A speeding vegetable-laden tempo heading towards Pune rammed into the tractor-trolley carrying workers from behind. The workers fell on the road and the tempo also got damaged,'' Shivral police station inspector N Madne said.

At least 23 'warkaris' suffered injuries and were rushed to a hospital, where one of them succumbed during treatment, the official said. Out of the other 22 victims, one was seriously injured, he said. The tempo driver did not suffer any injuries, he said.

''Prima facia, the trolley attached to the tractor did not have a reflector, which might have confused the tempo driver due to poor visibility in the wee hours. We are conducting further investigation into the incident,'' the official said. The annual 'wari' procession will commence on Monday from Dehu near Pune.