A truck rammed into a group of warkari pilgrims (devotees of Lord Vitthal) on Monday (July 13, 2026), killing three pilgrims and injuring four others on the Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage in Maharashtra’s Pune district, Pune Rural Police said.

The accident occurred on Saswad Jejuri Road, where one of the Wari trucks ran into a warkari pilgrim group walking on the road. According to police, the truck was carrying warkaris from Nanded district. The victims came from Kasbedigraj in Sangli district.

The injured have been taken to a hospital in Jejuri for treatment. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar visited the rural hospital, meeting survivors and reviewing the treatment being provided.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident. In a preliminary probe, a Pune Rural official said, “It looks like a case of losing control at high speed.” 

Every year, Wari, a religious social procession, is held in Maharashtra. It departs from Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj’s Palkhi from Alandi on July 8 and Sant Tukaram Maharaj’s Palkhi from Dehu on July 7, and passes through the heart of Pune city to reach Pandharpur by July 24, celebrating Ashadhi Ekadashi on July 25.