A freak late-night accident in Maharashtra’s Dindori tehsil claimed the lives of nine family members, including six children, after their vehicle plunged into an unnoticed roadside well on Friday.
The multi-utility vehicle (MUV) was returning from a get-together organised by a private coaching institute in Dindori town when the tragedy struck. Locals said the driver failed to notice the open well in the darkness, leaving all occupants trapped beneath the submerged vehicle.
Visuals from the site showed scores of residents gathered as rescue teams worked through the night. Two cranes were deployed, and local swimmers joined efforts to retrieve the vehicle. After nearly two hours, the MUV and the bodies were pulled from the well and taken to a nearby government hospital, where doctors declared all nine dead.
Dindori police inspector Bhagwan Mathure described the accident as a result of the vehicle veering off the road. “None of the occupants survived. It was a challenge to retrieve the vehicle as it was submerged in a considerable amount of water,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the “heart-wrenching” incident and announced a ₹5 lakh ex-gratia for the heirs. “We share in the grief of their families,” he tweeted.
State Minister Girish Mahajan slammed the presence of a well in the middle of a roadway as “a very big mistake by the officials” and ordered an immediate probe. “The families of the deceased will be compensated,” he said.
The accident has shocked the region, highlighting grave safety lapses on rural roads. Police have registered a case, and the district administration is investigating the circumstances that led to one of the most tragic road mishaps in Nashik in recent memory.
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