At least 10 pilgrims returning from a pilgrimage in Madhya Pradesh were killed in a road accident on the Mumbai-Agra national highway in Maharashtra's Nashik on Thursday, police said.
The pilgrims were travelling from Ujjain to Ulhasnagar in Thane when the accident occurred near Chandwad around 7.15 a.m., Inspector A.R. Mohite said.
"The front tyre of the minibus carrying the pilgrims party suddenly burst leading the driver to lose control. The vehicle then rammed from behind into a stationery sand-truck by the road," Mohite told IANS.
While 10 pilgrims succumbed on the spot, another 12 were injured, including five whose condition is critical, he added.
The injured have been rushed to the Chandwad Civil Hospital and their relatives who are mostly in Kalyan and Ulhasnagar in Thane have been informed.
The identity of the deceased and other details were being verified, Mohite added.