A decision to take a shortcut proved fatal for nine members of a family, six of them children, when their car plunged into a well in Maharashtra’s Nashik district.
On Friday, three adults and six children from the Dargude family travelled to an event organised by a coaching centre in Dindori. They included Sunil Dargude (32), his wife Reshma (27), daughter Gunwanti (11), Sunil’s sister-in-law Asha (32), her children Sreyash (11), Shravani (11), Sraddha (13) and Srishti (14), and a relative’s child Samriddhi (7).
After attending the programme, the nine left for their village, about 10 km away. It was evening time, and Sunil, who was driving the Maruti Suzuki XL6 car, decided to take a shortcut. This proved to be a deadly error.
The car hit the wall of a roadside well and plunged into it. The deep well had water till the 40-foot mark. When local residents heard the sound, they rushed to the well and called the fire brigade. The residents attempted to begin rescue work, but darkness and the well’s depth were major challenges.
Firefighters used lights to locate the vehicle. Divers jumped in, and ropes were used to pull the car out of the well. But it was too late. All the occupants were dead. The body of one of the children was found outside the vehicle.
Maharashtra water resources minister Girish Mahajan at the spot of the incident
Police have registered a case under sections relating to causing death by negligence and rash driving. Sunil Dargude, one of the victims, has been charged with driving rashly, and the well’s owner, Rajendra Raje, faces a negligence case.
According to reports, the road next to the well was constructed a few years back, but no steps were taken to close the well. Civic authorities and the well’s owner were locked in a dispute over this.
The tragedy has now prompted the local administration into action. Work to fill the well has begun to ensure such an incident doesn’t take place again. An investigation has also been launched to find out why the authorities let a well remain so close to a road.