Bhiwandi: A 31-year-old jawan attached to the Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) died in a road accident allegedly caused by a large pothole on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway in Shahapur taluka on Monday, marking the second pothole-related fatality in Thane district within two days.The deceased, identified as Vikas Lahu Gore, a resident of Bamne village in Shahapur, was on his way to report for duty at the TDRF office in Thane when the accident occurred near Ghoteghar at around 4.30 am. The sole breadwinner of his family, he is survived by his wife and nine-month-old twin daughters.According to the police, Gore, who was wearing a helmet and riding his Royal Enfield motorcycle towards the railway station, lost control of the vehicle after hitting a large pothole on the rain-battered highway.He fell on the road and suffered severe injuries.Local residents rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead before treatment could begin.“Preliminary investigation suggests that the motorcycle lost balance after hitting a pothole on the highway. An accidental death report has been registered and further investigation is underway to ascertain whether there was any negligence on the part of the road contractor,” said Vilas Kadam, in charge of Shahapur police station.The tragedy has reignited concerns over the condition of roads across Thane district during the monsoon, with commuters repeatedly complaining about deep potholes and poor maintenance of key roads and highways.Villagers from Bamne said the Mumbai-Nashik Highway stretch passing through Shahapur has become hazardous due to numerous potholes.“The condition of roads in Shahapur is extremely poor. The quality of road work is substandard. We don’t know how many more lives the government will sacrifice before permanent repairs are carried,” a villager said.Gore’s relatives described him as the sole breadwinner of the family and appealed to the govt to provide financial assistance to his dependants.“He died a tragic death because of potholes while he was going to perform his duty. He is survived by his wife and nine-month-old twin daughters. The family has lost its only earning member. The govt should extend adequate compensation and support, considering the future of his two infant daughters,” a relative said.The incident occurred barely a day after another fatal accident allegedly linked to a pothole. On Sunday, 46-year-old Sunita Akshaylal Pal was killed and her husband injured after their scooter skidded into a pothole on the Thane-Bhiwandi Road near Rahanal village. The couple fell on the road, following which the woman was run over by a passing truck.Since the onset of the monsoon, roads across Thane district, including those under the Bhiwandi, Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar municipal corporations, have developed large potholes, posing a serious risk to commuters.With two alleged pothole-related deaths reported in two days, residents have urged the authorities to immediately repair damaged roads before more lives are lost.
