Pune, Maharashtra (May 28, 2025): A 76-year-old woman died on Wednesday afternoon after a tree fell on a moving rickshaw on the road between Nilayam Bridge and Nashik Phadke Auditorium. The incident occurred around 3.30 p.m. and is the second tree-related fatality reported in the city during this monsoon season. The victim, Shubhada Yashwant Sapre, was a resident of Sinhagad Road. She was travelling in the rickshaw when the tree, located in the adjoining Peshwe Energy Park, collapsed due to continuous rainfall. The tree fell directly on the vehicle.
Sapre sustained severe head injuries. The rickshaw driver, Sanjay Awchare, suffered minor injuries. Both were rushed to Chaitanya Hospital. Despite immediate treatment, Sapre was declared dead during the medical procedure. The tree was later cleared from the road, and police have registered a case of accidental death and launched an investigation.
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The earlier incident occurred on May 26. A 49-year-old man, Rahul Shrikant Joshi, died when a tree branch fell on him in the Karvenagar area. The incident took place near Alankar Police Station around 7.15 p.m. Joshi, a resident of Karvenagar near the SBI Bank, was returning home from Samarth Path when the branch fell. He was riding his bike when the branch struck him. He sustained critical injuries. Police reached the spot quickly and rushed Joshi to Sassoon General Hospital. Doctors declared him dead before treatment could begin. Joshi worked for a private firm.
A similar tree-related death had occurred in Bibwewadi last year. A young man lost his life in that case after a branch collapsed on him during heavy rain.