Thane, Maharashtra (May 7, 2025): Three people, including two passengers and an auto rickshaw driver, were killed on Tuesday night after a large tree fell on their vehicle during heavy rain and strong winds in the Chinchpada area of Kalyan East. The incident occurred around 9:15 p.m. in front of the Ayyappa temple, when a tree collapsed on the moving rickshaw. Due to the storm, power supply was disrupted in several parts of Kalyan, making rescue operations difficult.
Fire brigade teams from the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation rushed to the spot, but power failure slowed down their efforts to remove the tree. Using electronic saws, they were eventually able to cut and clear the tree from the rickshaw.
The three people trapped inside the vehicle were pulled out and taken to Rukminibai Hospital in an ambulance. Doctors declared all three dead on arrival. The victims included two men and one woman.
Read Also | Nashik to Conduct Mock Drill Exercise on May 7; Full List of Locations and What Citizens Should Know
Local political leaders including Shinde Sena city head Nilesh Shinde, office-bearer Prashant Kale, former corporator Mahesh Gaikwad, and BJP MLA Sulbha Gaikwad visited the site soon after the incident.
In view of the seriousness of the situation, KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goyal, Additional Commissioner Harshal Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner Prasad Borkar, and Assistant Commissioner Umesh Yamgar also visited the scene.
Residents complained that no crane or JCB machine was immediately available to remove the fallen tree, which delayed the rescue work.