In a heartbreaking incident early Friday morning, a tractor carrying 12 laborers plunged into a well in Nanded taluka. The accident occurred around 7 a.m. as the tractor was transporting male and female workers from Alegaon and Runj to harvest groundnuts. Villagers acted swiftly to rescue the trapped individuals, managing to pull out two women and one man. However, with no rescue machinery arriving even after three hours, fears are growing that the remaining nine laborers may have lost their lives. The well was filled with water and sludge, complicating the rescue efforts. Adding to the tragedy, it has been revealed that the tractor was being driven by a 15-year-old boy, raising serious concerns about the safety measures in place.
In a separate but equally devastating accident just days earlier, a tractor loaded with sugarcane tipped over on the Pune-Nashik highway near Wagholi, resulting in three deaths and seven injuries. The incident occurred during peak traffic, about 2.3 kilometers from the Wagholi toll plaza. According to police reports, the tractor, driven by 42-year-old local farmer Rajesh Patil, lost control on a sharp turn. The vehicle was overloaded, exceeding the allowed weight limit by 1,850 kilograms, which contributed to the severity of the accident. Tragically, two workers—38-year-old Santosh Mane and 45-year-old Prakash Jadhav—who were sitting on top of the sugarcane, also died in the incident. Emergency teams responded promptly, reaching the scene within 12 minutes with three ambulances and a rescue vehicle from the Pune Fire Department. The injured were rushed to Sancheti Hospital, where four remain in serious condition. Doctors report that three survivors have sustained multiple fractures, while the others have minor injuries.