Two people died and 12 were injured when a minibus crashed into a luxury bus on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway around 7.30 a.m. on Monday.

The accident occurred near Mhadap tunnel at Khalapur in Raigad, at the 27-km mark on the expressway. A group of 20 people from Vasai was on its way to Mahabaleshwar for a picnic, when its minibus rammed into the back of a luxury bus.

None of the passengers from the luxury bus, which was travelling from Rajasthan to Pune, were injured. The minibus driver, Shekhar Rohidas Kamble (51), and one passenger, Joseph Manvel Serejo (62), died on the spot. Four others — Alfiya Joseph Serejo (23), Jayprakash Vartak (28), Preeti Gonsalves (25) and Nonrat Joseph Serejo (60) — were stuck between the seats and are seriously injured.

Aliyan Joseph Serejo (30), Brian Silvera (50), Plory Stany Pareira (70), Stany Pareira (75), Nivel Liswant Silverado (35) and Vandana Jayprakash Vartak (35) and two other passengers have minor injuries.

All the injured were taken to MGM Hospital, Kamothe, by the State highway police.

Police break down door

“We had to break open the door of the minibus to enter the vehicle. The four passengers who were seriously injured were stuck between the seats. To remove them safely without causing further injuries, we dismantled the seats and took the victims out,” assistant police inspector Subhash Pujari, State highway police, said.

Initially, it was suspected that the luxury bus was stationary while its driver, Sadiq Abubaker Nagori (44), had stepped out to relieve himself. “In the interrogation, however, we learnt that the luxury bus was travelling slowly in the service lane. It is clearly the minibus driver’s fault. He could have used the third lane of the expressway, but was probably overspeeding and could not control the vehicle,” senior police inspector Vishwajeet Kaingade from Khalapur police station said.