A 34-year-old woman lost her life after a large tree fell on the autorickshaw she was traveling in. The accident occurred on Tuesday evening near Karve Road, as heavy rains and strong winds lashed Pune, leading to several reports of fallen trees and waterlogging across the city.
According to eyewitnesses, the autorickshaw was passing by a residential stretch on Karve Road around 6:45 PM when a decades-old tree, its roots likely loosened by persistent rainfall, suddenly toppled onto the vehicle. The impact crushed the roof of the autorickshaw, trapping the woman and the driver inside.
Local residents rushed to the scene and immediately called emergency services. Fire brigade personnel and disaster response teams arrived within minutes and worked to extricate the victims from the mangled vehicle.
Despite the swift response, the woman, identified as Priya Kulkarni, was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. The autorickshaw driver sustained serious injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. Doctors report that he is in stable condition but remains under observation.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has expressed condolences to the victim’s family and assured that all medical expenses for the injured driver will be covered.
This tragic incident has reignited public debate over the state of Pune’s urban infrastructure, particularly the maintenance of roadside trees during the monsoon. Experts point out that regular tree audits, pruning, and root inspections are essential to prevent such accidents, especially as climate change leads to more intense and unpredictable weather events.
Residents in the area reported that the fallen tree had shown signs of decay and instability for months, but repeated complaints to civic authorities reportedly went unaddressed.
The incident has left the local community in shock, with many expressing anger and frustration over the perceived negligence of civic authorities. Several citizen groups have called for stricter enforcement of safety protocols and greater accountability in urban planning and maintenance.