17 dead in accident near Panvel on Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Seventeen people were killed and around 30 others were injured near Panvel on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway on Sunday morning as three vehicles -- two cars and a bus -- fell into a ditch after the bus rammed one of the cars.

The mishap took place at around 5.30 am, said Navi Mumbai police. According to the police, a car was standing on the road as it had a flat tyre, and MUV, standing was behind it. Passengers in the MUV had stopped to help those in the first car.

While the two vehicles had halted, a private tourist bus came from behind and rammed the MUV, which in turn rammed into the car. The three vehicles plunged into a 20ft deep road-side ditch.

All the three vehicles were coming from Pune.