A tragic road accident in Maharashtra’s Solapur district claimed the lives of eight pilgrims and left several others injured after a pickup van carrying devotees plunged into a well in the Malshiras area on June 15.
According to police, the accident occurred near Tandulwadi village on the Mhaswad–Pandharpur Road in Malshiras taluka when the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to fall into a roadside well. The pilgrims, residents of Ranjani village in Pandharpur taluka, were returning after offering prayers at the Siddhanath Temple.
Amid the chaos, a local Muslim man, Irfan Mujawar, emerged as a hero after reportedly jumping into the well without hesitation to rescue the victims. Risking his own life, Mujawar saved five people, including a child, before emergency teams arrived at the scene. The injured were later shifted to hospitals in Pandharpur for treatment.
Solapur District Collector S. Karthikeyan said the devotees were returning from Siddhanath Temple in Mhaswad when the accident occurred. He added that a 5-member committee had been constituted to investigate the incident and recommend measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.
President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan expressed grief over the loss of lives. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also expressed sorrow over the tragedy and announced compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of the victims.