Seven people were killed and three were injured on Thursday after a taxi veered off the road and fell into a well in the Jalna district of Maharashtra, a police official said. As per the police statements, they were returning from a pilgrimage to the temple town Pandharpur.
The incident occurred at 5:30 pm in Vasant Nagar in the Badnapur tehsil of the district, the official said, news agency PTI reported.
"The occupants of the taxi were returning from Pandharpur. The deceased have been identified as Narayan Nihal (45), Prahlad Bitle (65), Prahlad Mahajan (65), Nanda Tayde (35), Chandrabhga Ghuge, who are residents of Chanegaon in Badnapur tehsil, as well as Tarabai Malusare from Bhokardan and Ranjana Kamble (35). Three injured persons have been admitted to the district hospital here," he said.
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The taxi, which carried 12 people in total—including the driver—swerved off the road in an attempt to avoid a motorcycle that was approaching from the other direction.
'Crane Had To Be Deployed To Extricate Bodies From Car': Police
"The black-and-yellow taxi fell into a well, trapping some of the occupants as the front doors got jammed. Some of them managed to escape as the taxi began to sink. The road on that stretch does not have guard rails. A crane had to be deployed to extricate the bodies from the car," the official said.
Speaking on the incident, Jalna DM Shrikrishnanath Panchal said, "... Some people were returning from Pandharpur. 15 people were seated in one vehicle out of which, 7 people unfortunately died. The remaining 8 including the driver are undergoing treatment... The Chief Minister called and took cognisance of the situation and also details of the deceased. He instructed the administration to take all the treatment expenses," ANI reported.