Nine of Family, Including Six Children, Die as Car Plunges into Well in Nashik

A devastating accident in Maharashtra's Nashik district claimed the lives of nine members of a single family, including six children, when their multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) veered off the road and plunged into a water-filled well. The tragic incident occurred late on Friday night, April 3, 2026, in the Shivaji Nagar area of Dindori taluka, approximately 20-40 kilometers from Nashik city. The victims, identified as residents of Indore village within Dindori taluka, were on their way home after attending a social gathering organised by a coaching class, Vadje Classes, at a banquet hall in the Shivaji Nagar area. Police reports suggest that the driver of the MPV, identified by some sources as a Maruti XL6 or Maruti XL, failed to notice the well in the prevailing darkness, leading to a loss of control and the vehicle's fatal plunge. The well was reportedly deep and completely filled with water, severely hampering any chances of survival for the occupants. Emergency services were immediately alerted, and a large-scale rescue operation was launched by local police, fire brigade, disaster management teams, and local residents. The challenging conditions, primarily the darkness of the night and the well being submerged in water, made the rescue efforts extremely difficult. Two hydra cranes were deployed to retrieve the submerged vehicle, and local swimmers also assisted in the operation. Despite the swift response and sustained efforts, which lasted several hours into the early hours of Saturday, April 4, 2026, none of the nine passengers could be rescued alive. The vehicle and the bodies of the victims were eventually pulled out of the well around midnight or 12:15 AM on Saturday. An NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team also reached the spot to aid in the extensive operation. The deceased belonged to the Dargode extended family. The identified victims include three adults and six children: Sunil Dattu Dargode (32/34), his wife Reshma Sunil Dargode (27/30), and Asha Anil Dargode (32). The six children who lost their lives were Khushi Anil Dargude (14), Madhuri Anil Dargode (13), Shreyas Anil Dargode (11), Rakhi Sunil Dargode (10/11) alias Gunvanti, Shravani Anil Dargode (11), and Samruddhi Rajendra Dargode (7). Another name, Srishti Anil Dargode (14), also appears in some reports, consistent with the count of six children. Notably, the original article's headline mentioning '7 women' is accurate when considering both adult females and female children. The breakdown of victims includes two adult women (Reshma and Asha) and five female children (Khushi, Madhuri, Rakhi, Shravani, Samruddhi/Srishti), totaling seven females, alongside one adult male (Sunil) and one male child (Shreyas). The bodies were transported to a government hospital in Dindori for post-mortem examinations. The Dindori Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation into the precise cause of the accident, with questions being raised about road safety measures in rural areas, particularly the need for adequate lighting, signage, and protective barriers around open wells. The incident has cast a profound pall of gloom over the Dindori taluka, with local residents and leaders expressing deep grief and offering support to the bereaved family. This tragedy underscores recurring concerns regarding road safety infrastructure and driver vigilance, especially during nighttime hours in less lit rural stretches of India. Several credible national news outlets, including India Today, The Hindu, Deccan Herald, India TV News, Lokmat Times, The Logical Indian, and Xinhua, have widely covered this incident, corroborating the details of the accident, the number of fatalities, and the ongoing investigation. The consistency across multiple reputable sources strengthens the veracity of the news story. There is no significant misinformation or exaggeration detected in the core facts reported, although some minor variations exist in the ages of victims and the exact model of the vehicle, which are common in preliminary reporting of such incidents. The central claim of nine family members dying, including six children, is consistently verified across all sources.

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