Pune: Three wrestlers based from Pune were killed while eight others left injured in a road accident on Pune-Bengaluru highway near Karad on Sunday. According to the police, the deceased were returning to Pune from Kolhapur.

The accident took place when two cars collided with each other at Narayanwadi near Karad, according to the highway police. The two vehicles collided when overtaking each other.

The police said, the accident between a Swift car and an Innova SUV took place at 6.30 pm in Narayanwadi village near Karad. Three of the six people travelling in the Innova died and three more suffered serious injuries. Five persons travelling in the Swift also sustained minor injuries and were discharged from hospital after treatment.

The deceased have been identified as Rahul Dorge, Swapnil Shinde and Raviraj Salunkhe, all residents of Pune. The injured in the Swift car have been identified as Aditya Omase, Chandrakant Kaware, Puja Omase, Bharat Omase and Sejal Omase, all residents of Indapur.

Inspector BR Bharne of Karad taluka police station said, “Those travelling in the Innova, who were from Pune, sustained very severe injuries and three of them have died. Three others are currently being treated at a local hospital. Five people from the Swift, who were from Indapur in Pune district, have minor injuries.”