Nashik Tragedy: 9 Members of Durgude Family, Including 6 Children, Die After Car Falls Into Open Well in Dindori; CM Orders Statewide Safety Audit
In a heart-rending tragedy that has shocked Maharashtra, nine members of the same family, including six children, lost their lives after the car in which they were travelling plunged into an open well in Dindori town of Nashik district late Friday night.
The accident occurred around 10 pm in the Shivaji Nagar area, leaving the entire region in deep mourning.
According to police and local sources, the victims belonged to the Durgude (also reported as Dargude) family, residents of Indore village in Dindori taluka.
The family had gone to attend a social function organised at a banquet hall or coaching centre gathering in the locality and was returning home when the tragic incident took place.
Preliminary reports indicate that the vehicle, reportedly a multi-purpose car, was moving along a concrete road when it suddenly ran straight into a water-filled open well situated at the dead end of the road.
Locals stated that the well had only a very low boundary wall of barely one foot height, making it extremely difficult for the driver to detect the danger, especially in the darkness of night.
Eyewitnesses said the accident occurred within seconds, giving little opportunity for escape.
People present nearby immediately alerted the police and emergency services. Personnel of the fire brigade, police department and residents rushed to the spot and launched an intensive rescue operation.
Divers were pressed into service, and cranes were deployed to pull the submerged vehicle out of the well.
After nearly two hours of effort, the vehicle was retrieved, but tragically, all nine occupants had already succumbed to injuries and drowning.
The deceased have been identified as Sunil Dattu Durgude (32), his wife Reshma, Asha Anil Durgude, Anil Durgude and six children, including several girls aged between 7 and 14 years and one young boy.
The bodies were later shifted to the Government Hospital in Dindori for post-mortem examination.
The tragic loss of multiple members of the same family has devastated relatives and shocked residents of the area.
Dozens of family members, friends and villagers gathered at the hospital and accident site, expressing grief over the unimaginable loss that wiped out almost an entire generation of the family in a single incident.
Residents alleged that the accident could have been prevented if the well had been properly secured with a protective wall or fencing.
According to villagers, concerns had earlier been raised regarding the dangerous location of the well, but no effective preventive action was taken.
Some residents even claimed that animals had fallen into the same well earlier, highlighting the risk it posed to public safety.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep sorrow over the incident, particularly over the death of six children.
He has ordered an inquiry into the tragedy and directed authorities to conduct a statewide survey and safety audit of open wells located in public areas.
The government has also announced financial assistance to the next of kin of the deceased.
Following the tragedy, local authorities initiated action to seal the hazardous well by filling it with mud, in order to prevent any similar accident in future.
Police have also registered a case and are examining whether negligence on the part of the concerned authorities or the landowner contributed to the incident.
The incident has once again raised serious questions about civic safety standards, particularly regarding unprotected wells and hazardous structures located close to public roads in rural and semi-urban areas.
Residents are demanding strict accountability and immediate preventive measures to ensure that such a devastating tragedy is never repeated.
The shocking accident has left the entire Nashik district grieving, as nine lives from one family were lost in a matter of moments, turning what was meant to be a joyous outing into an irreversible catastrophe.
