A Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) truck and two two-wheelers fell into a huge sinkhole that opened up at the Pune Post Office parking area in the crowded Samadhan Chowk of Budhwar Peth on Friday afternoon. The video of the incident went viral on social media.
#WATCH | Maharashtra | A truck fell upside down in the premises of the city post office in the Budwar Peth area of Pune city after a portion of the premises caved in. The truck belongs to the Pune municipal corporation and was there for drainage cleaning work.
20 Jawans of the… pic.twitter.com/YigRhM5iwS
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2024
#WATCH | Pune: PMC Truck Falls Into Pit; Driver Safe
Read story by Ankit Shukla (@AnkitShukla5454): https://t.co/pvaMLOvijJ#PuneNews #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/FL9OG6L18v
— Free Press Journal (@fpjindia) September 20, 2024
The video showed the truck sliding into the pit rear-side first as the surface, paved with interlocking cement blocks, caved in. Fortunately, the driver of the truck escaped unhurt. Following this incident, a fire brigade team rushed to the spot and started an operation to remove the truck and two-wheelers from the sinkhole. The operation concluded after more than three hours with over 20 fire brigade personnel carrying it out.
Speaking about the incident, Pune Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale said, “Since the post office building is over 100 years old, and considering the circular shape of the pit, it appears that there was a well-like structure underneath.”
The PMC road department also clarified that the incident did not occur on civic property or public roads; it was on the premises of the City Post.
Though Pune Metro work is underway in the vicinity, officials of Maha Metro said it had nothing to do with the sinkhole as work is being carried out more than 65 feet below rock strata.
Meanwhile, as the video of the incident went viral, several opposition leaders took to X (formerly Twitter) and posted the video criticising the ruling Mahayuti government. Amid this, a war of words erupted between NCP (SP) Working President Supriya Sule and BJP Maharashtra Mahila Morcha President Chitra Wagh.
“Is this called ‘Smart City’? The busiest road in Pune caves in and swallows an entire truck. This incident is very appalling and questions the overall quality of the road. Fortunately, there was no loss of life in this incident. This is a question of citizens’ safety. This incident needs to be thoroughly investigated. We strongly demand that strict action be taken against the guilty persons in this matter,” Sule wrote.
‘स्मार्ट सिटी’ म्हणतात ते हेच का मुख्यमंत्री महोदय? पुणे शहरातील सर्वाधिक वर्दळीच्या रस्ता खचून आख्खा ट्रक बघता बघता गायब होतो. ही घटना अतिशय भयंकर आणि रस्त्याच्या एकंदर दर्जा व गुणवत्तेवर प्रश्नचिन्ह उपस्थित करणारी आहे. सुदैवाने या घटनेत जिवितहानी झाली नाही. हा नागरिकांच्या… pic.twitter.com/s53fJutcjI
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) September 20, 2024
Replying to her post, Wagh said this was a “fake narrative.” She said, “No matter how many false narratives you try to set up, when the truth comes out, you will be hit in the face! There was a well at the site where the truck caved in. It was covered up with paver blocks. The PMC Commissioner went to the actual scene and said such a heavy vehicle hadn’t gone there before. This is the real information. Tai (Sule) is Sansadratna, then why is she giving fake news?”
ओऽऽऽऽ१२मतीच्या ताई…
कितीही खोटे नॅरेटिव्ह तुम्ही सेट करण्याचा प्रयत्न करा, पण सत्य बाहेर आल्यावर तुम्ही तोंडावर आपटणारच !
स्वच्छतेचा टॅंकर खचला त्या जागी आधी विहीर होती, ती केवळ स्वॅब आणि पेव्हर ब्लॅाकने बुजविली गेली होती.
पुणे महापालिका आयुक्त श्री. राजेंद्र भोसले यांनी… https://t.co/rPRKCLZDBs
— Chitra Kishor Wagh (@ChitraKWagh) September 20, 2024
