3 of family killed, 4 injured after autorickshaw falls into nullah in Bhiwandi

The incident took place at around 11.30pm near Bhumi World when autorickshaw driver Rakesh Chauhan realised that the brakes of the vehicle failed. He was ferrying his family home to Titwala after spending time at Juhu Chowpatty

Thane: Three members of a family, including a two-year-old girl, were killed and four others sustained injuries after an autorickshaw, which they were travelling in, fell into 20 feet under-construction nullah on Mumbai-Nashik Highway in Bhiwandi, on Wednesday night.

3 of family killed, 4 injured after autorickshaw falls into nullah in Bhiwandi

The incident took place at around 11.30pm near Bhumi World when autorickshaw driver Rakesh Chauhan realised that the brakes of the vehicle failed. He was ferrying his family home to Titwala after spending time at Juhu Chowpatty.

The police said that the deceased has been identified as Munni Devi Rakesh Chavan, 31, (wife of an auto driver), Radha Chavan, 33, (sister-in-law of Rakesh), Anshika Chavan, 2, (daughter of Rakesh). While the injured in the incident are Rakesh Chavan alias Tony, 34, Ravi Chavan, 11, Ankita Chavan, 7, Anjali Chavan, 9.

The injured are being treated at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Bhiwandi. Police sources said that the Chavan family lived at Unarni village in P K Nagar in Titwala and they hail from Bhadohi district in UP.

Rakesh Chavan is a driver by profession, and he has lived in Titwala with his wife and three daughters and one son for 10 years. His sister-in-law Radha had come to Titwala five or six days ago to take her rent deposit amount from the room owner.

Speaking to HT, Rakesh Chavan said, “We decided to visit Jivdani temple, Mumba Devi temple, and Juhu Chowpatty for a one-day trip as my sister-in-law had come here. On Wednesday after lunch, we left home at about 1pm for Juhu Chowpatty in our auto rickshaw. We were in Juhu till 9.30pm. Then we left Juhu for Titwala via Bhiwandi. When we reached Bhiwandi-Mumbai-Nashik highway, the brake of the vehicle failed. I somehow moved the auto rickshaw from the main road to the roadside and suddenly, the auto-rickshaw fell in a big nullah.”

“I screamed for help and later two men heard me and jumped into nullah and pulled us out with the help of a rope,” added Chavan.

Police sources added that they were alerted by passersby about the incident and reached the spot and took them to Indira Gandhi Hospital in Bhiwandi where three were declared dead during treatment while the other four suffered face, hand, leg injuries and are currently undergoing treatment.

Pappu Chavan, 32, a relative said, “I alerted the police about the accident at around 2am. Thereafter, I alerted my other relatives and reached the spot. Around hundred auto-rickshaw drivers gathered at IGM hospital and later managed to call an ambulance and took over the three bodies and sent them to UP for final rites.”

Auto rickshaw drivers and locals alleged that this accident was a result of unavailability of streetlights in the area and warning signs around the ongoing construction work of nullah which is being constructed by MMRDA.

Rajendra Pawar, police inspector, at Kongaon Police Station, said, “A case has been registered against auto-rickshaw driver 304(A), 279, 337 with Kongaon police station.”