In a tragic incident, a speeding dumper crushed two toddlers and a man to death and left six others critically injured in Wagholi near Pune early Monday. The accident occurred around 1 a.m. near Kesnand Phata when the vehicle veered onto the footpath, mowing down nine pavement dwellers sleeping in makeshift shanties, police said. The victims were identified as one-year-old Vaibhavi Ritesh Pawar, her two-year-old brother Vaibhav Ritesh Pawar, and 30-year-old Rinesh N. Pawar. All three were sleeping side by side when the dumper, reportedly owned by Buildwell Enterprises, ran over them. The six injured individuals, whose condition remains critical, were rushed to Sassoon Hospital for treatment.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the dumper driver was allegedly intoxicated and lost control of the vehicle while traveling from Pune to Wagholi. Authorities are probing further to confirm the cause of the accident. Locals reported that the victims were part of a group of laborers who had arrived from Amravati just a day earlier to work at nearby construction sites.
Eyewitnesses described the accident site as a grim and chaotic scene, with bodies of the victims, blood stains, and the scattered belongings of the laborers strewn across the area. “It looked like a war zone,” said a local resident who rushed to help. Social media platforms were flooded with outrage over the incident, with calls for stricter enforcement of road safety laws and accountability for negligent driving.
Police officers reached the scene shortly after the accident, moved the damaged dumper, and conducted formalities to clear the area. An official statement confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the exact sequence of events.
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