In a devastating accident, seven people returning from a pilgrimage to Pandharpur lost their lives and three others were injured when their taxi veered off the road and plunged into a well in Maharashtra's Jalna district on Thursday evening.
The incident took place around 5:30 PM in Vasant Nagar, located in Badnapur tehsil. According to police reports, the taxi was trying to avoid a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction when it swerved off the road and fell into the well. The road in this stretch lacks guard rails, which contributed to the severity of the accident.
The deceased have been identified as Narayan Nihal (45), Prahlad Bitle (65), Prahlad Mahajan (65), Nanda Tayde (35), and Chandrabhga Ghuge, all residents of Chanegaon in Badnapur tehsil, as well as Tarabai Malusare from Bhokardan and Ranjana Kamble (35). The injured individuals have been admitted to the district hospital for treatment.
The taxi, which had 12 occupants including the driver, fell into the well, trapping some passengers as the front doors became jammed. Some managed to escape as the vehicle began to sink. "A crane was needed to extricate the bodies from the car," a police official said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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