Women, toddler fall to their deaths after slab covering well breaks

Rescue workers at the site of the mishap in Vile Parle on Tuesday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Two women and a child died and seven others badly injured after the concrete slab covering a well in Jui bungalow, Vile Parle, collapsed last evening, plummeting the 20-odd women sitting on it inside. The incident happened during an annual puja that was being performed at the well, around 6.30 pm. The the local police along with the fire brigade rushed to the spot. Around 8.15 pm, the fire brigade started dewatering the well using pumps.

Four victims were sent to Babasaheb Gawde hospital, where one 35-year-old woman was declared dead on arrival. The other deceased are a three-year-old and a 48-year-old woman. Four others - Mahek Gupta, 11, Jiyalal Gupta, 38, Geeta Gupta, 36, and Sumitra Gupta, 47 - are admitted at VN Desai hospital. Most have sustained injuries to arms and legs but are in stable condition.

Residentspeak
According to Harendra Bhansali, 67, whose family has been living in the area for over a century, "Around 30 years back, a resident had committed suicide by jumping into the well; it had been covered with a concrete slab since then, with some space to pull out water. On Tuesday evening, as I was going to the market, I saw women doing puja on the slab. When I returned, I saw people shouting and running all over. There was a delay in the fire brigade reaching the spot, but thanks to locals' presence of mind, they rescued many women with the help of sarees and a rope brought from an under-construction site. All wells in the area should be audited to prevent such incidents."

Officialspeak
A fire officer said, "Locals had pulled out two women from the 30x20 ft well before our arrival, and several after. Our search operation is on, and a boy aged four or five and a teenaged girl have been rescued and sent to Cooper hospital." DCP (zone VIII) Anil Kumbhare, who was at the spot, said most women have been rescued. "Three have been declared dead, including a three-year-old. The bodies have been sent to Cooper hospital for post-mortem. Further investigations are on."

07
Total number of people reported injured

20
Approximate number of women falling inside

Also Read: Mumbai Crime: Cops net cheat on the run for six years in Vile Parle hotel

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