Mumbai (The Hindu): A pilgrimage ended in tragedy for a Surat family after their taxi lost control and overturned on the Eastern Freeway on Saturday morning, killing six people and injuring three. The deceased include four women and an eight-year-old boy.

According to the Dongri police, the accident occurred at around 9 a.m. on the Dongri stretch when the Verma family was on their way to the Mumba Devi temple in Zaveri Bazaar.

 Eyewitnesses told the police that the taxi, which was being driven by Mangru Verma (22), hit the divider between pole number 6 and 9 and turned turtle. Passing motorists called the police control room following which a team of policemen and ambulances reached the spot. The nine occupants of the vehicle were taken to JJ Hospital in Byculla, where six of them were declared brought dead, while the three, including the driver, are under treatment. The deceased have been identified as Harkesh Verma (45), Rajshree Verma (40), Ragini Verma (18), Asha Verma (12), Anara Verma (35) and Rajkumar Verma (8), while the injured, apart from Mangru, are Ravi Verma (14) and Vinay Verma (22). The accident led to a massive traffic snarl on the Freeway’s south stretch up to Sewri.

“I received a call from one of our relatives in Surat, who told me about the accident. I went to the hospital and was shocked to learn that six of them had passed away,” said Saraswati Verma (55), a relative, who stays in Wadala.

Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Ashok Dudhe said the Dongri police will be registering a case of causing death and injury due to rash and negligent driving under the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act, against Mangru.

“The damage to the taxi, extent of the injuries, and the eyewitness accounts indicate that Mangru was driving at a very high speed. Further, letting nine people ride inside a single taxi was negligent and reckless on his part,” a police officer said.