 "The victims involved in road crash in Italy have been identified as Nagpur-based hotelier Javed Akhtar and his wife, Nadira Gulshan, while their three children sustained critical, life-threatening injuries. Image courtesy: X")
An Indian family’s European vacation ended in heartbreak on Thursday when a road accident in Italy claimed the lives of a prominent businessman and his wife.
The victims have been identified as Nagpur-based hotelier Javed Akhtar and his wife, Nadira Gulshan, while their three children sustained critical, life-threatening injuries.
The Indian Embassy in Italy has confirmed the accident and said it is coordinating closely with local authorities and the family back home to provide all possible assistance.
The shocking incident has left many wondering about the circumstances surrounding the crash, including whether timely assistance by Italian authorities could have made a difference. Here’s what happened
The tragic accident
Javed Akhtar, 55, owner of Nagpur’s Gulshan Plaza and his wife Nadira Gulshan, 47, were enjoying a long-awaited European vacation with their three children—daughters Arzoo and Shifa, and son Jazel. The family had arrived in France on September 22 before making their way to Italy.
“Javed and his family loved travelling and would choose an exotic vacation every year,” a grieving relative gathered at the Akhtar family home in Civil Lines told The Times of India.
On Thursday morning, their nine-seater tourist minibus, carrying a group of Asian travellers, was headed to a final sightseeing stop in Tuscany when disaster struck. Around 9 am on the Aurelia state road, a broken-down van being pushed along the roadside was struck by a truck, which then collided with the Akhtars’ vehicle.
Javed, Nadira, and the driver died on the spot, while the minibus was left mangled. Their daughter Arzoo, a 25-year-old MBA graduate, suffered severe head injuries. Her siblings, 15-year-old Jazel, a Class 10 student, and 21-year-old Shifa, a second-year undergraduate, were critically injured and are receiving treatment in hospitals at Grosseto and Florence, according to Italian media reports.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsDid help arrive late for the family?
Questions have arisen over whether quicker assistance could have made a difference for the Akhtar family.
According to reports, their son Jazel contacted the local helpline after regaining consciousness following the crash. Italian.News, a local news portal, suggested that the emergency response may have been delayed for the victims.
Once authorities were alerted, a large-scale rescue operation was launched immediately. Two fire department teams, guided by an incident commander, worked to extract the injured from the twisted wreckage before handing them over to medical personnel. Given the severity of their injuries, rescue helicopters were deployed to transport the children to nearby hospitals for urgent treatment.
The crash site, sealed for investigation, witnessed a traffic jam with Italian military police piecing together the tragedy’s cause.
Also read: How Indian truck driver, behind fatal Florida crash, has triggered a political row in US
Indian embassy responds
The Indian Embassy in Italy expressed deep condolences over the tragic deaths of the Nagpur couple, assuring that it is extending full support to the bereaved family.
“The Embassy conveys its heartfelt and sincere condolences for the tragic loss of two Indian nationals from Nagpur in an accident near Grosseto. Our prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured family members who are undergoing treatment. The Embassy is in contact with the family and local Italian authorities. We are providing all assistance to the family,” the embassy wrote on X.
According to the Times of India, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also moved quickly to assist the family, coordinating with the Indian Embassy in Rome to facilitate the repatriation of the couple’s bodies and ensure proper care for the injured children.
Nagpur’s district collector, Vipin Itankar, also sent urgent communications to the embassy to help navigate legal procedures and support the survivors during this difficult time.
With input from agencies