Three drown, including 3-yr-old, after falling into Vile Parle well

Mumbai: Three people, including a child, died and five others were injured after they suddenly plummeted down a 30-foot-deep well while they were performing pooja at Vile Parle on Tuesday evening.

According to fire officials, the incident occurred around 6.30 pm in an area opposite Satellite Hotel on Dixit Road in Vile Parle (east). Around 14 persons fell into the well, of which three — Madhavi Pandey (49), Divya (5),  Renu Yadav (35) and Jamurat Yadav (45) — were sent to Cooper Hospital. Renu, Jamurat and Divya were declared brought dead by hospital authorities while Pandey is critical. Four persons, Mehek Gupta (11), Chanda Gupta (38), Gita Gupta (36) and Sumitra Gupta (47), were rescued and sent to VN Desai Hospital and are stable. Two other women were rescued by public before the arrival of fire brigade.

Chief fire officer P.S. Rahangdale said, “On our arrival at the spot, the Fire Brigade learned from the public that people were sitting and performing pooja on an iron grill that was placed atop the well. The grill suddenly collapsed and all those sitting over it fell within the well.”

Firemen started search operations after donning life jackets. “The water was sucked up using a motor pump,” said a fire official, adding that rescue operations were still on.

“The rescue is important, and once that is completed we will probe the incident,” said an officer of Vile Parle police station. The officials are in the process of registering an accidental death report in the incident,” he said.