Newly dug well collapses in Rajgarh:Mother and wife of Congress leader killed; bodies recovered after 6-hour search

When I reached the well, it felt as if there had never been a well there. I kept shouting ‘Maa… Maa…’ and ‘Priyanka… Priyanka…’, but no sound came from anywhere. The excavation continued for about 6 hours. Every time the machine removed soil, hope arose that perhaps my mother and wife would be found alive, but by evening, hope was shattered. First, my mother, then my wife’s body was found buried in the debris. These are the words of Congress leader and Janpad member from Bamangaon, Mukesh Dangi. What happened in the field on the morning of 17 June shattered the family in an instant. A newly dug well suddenly collapsed, killing his mother, Rupa Bai Dangi (52), and wife, Priyanka alias Pinky Dangi (30), who were trapped inside. Even three days later, silence hangs over Bamangaon, with villagers still talking about the tragedy and mourning the loss of a mother-like mother-in-law and a daughter-like daughter-in-law. Read the report. Pictures after the accident Final conversation haunts Mukesh The Bhaskar team first reached Mukesh Dangi’s house. Relatives were sitting in the hall of the house. The whole atmosphere was somber. Mukesh was showing pictures of his mother on his mobile to his two-year-old son Mitansh, who was sitting nearby. Mitansh sometimes looked at the mobile screen and sometimes towards the door. Perhaps he still felt that his mother had gone somewhere and would return soon. When Bhaskar asked Mukesh about the incident, his voice choked up at the mention of his mother and wife. Tears welled up. He remained silent for a few moments. In a very low voice, he said, Little did I know that the conversation with mother while leaving home would be the last. Pictures of Mukesh’s house Uncle’s son had gone down into the well a short while ago Mukesh says that there was an old well in the field, which had been undergoing construction to make it permanent for about 15 days. Approximately 5 quintals of rebar, 100 bags of cement, sand, and gravel were used to strengthen the well. By Tuesday, the construction work was almost complete. At night, a channel was dug from the old well to the new well, in which pipes were laid and then covered with soil. The plan was to fill the new well with water for irrigating the orange trees. Mukesh says, On Wednesday morning, around 9 AM, I reached the field. Labourers and artisans had also arrived. While leaving home, I told Mom that when you come, bring food for the labourers and artisans too. Upon reaching the field, my two cousins, three labourers, and the artisans got to work. Around 11 AM, mother and wife Priyanka arrived with food. Mother had brought mangoes wrapped in cloth Mukesh narrates- Mother had brought two tiffins. One for the labourers and me, the other for herself and Priyanka. After Mother arrived, Uncle’s son descended into the well. He placed the motor down. I also moved the motor’s pipe here and there. We were doing the watering work. Mukesh says, Mother advised me to build a water tank near the orange orchard. She started gathering the scattered gravel around the well. Priyanka also joined her in the work. I, the artisan, and the laborers crossed the orange orchard and sat down under a Khejri tree about 300 meters away. First, we ate food. Then we started calculating the construction work. Mango wrapped in cloth found untouched When the Bhaskar team reached the Khejri tree where Mukesh had eaten with artisans and labourers, the tiffins packed for his mother and wife were found untouched. The mangoes Rupa Bai had brought for him, wrapped in cloth, were still tied the same way. Mukesh had thought his mother would eat rotis with the mangoes later, but they remained untouched. The tiffins, opened after three days, contained rotis, ridge gourd curry, and dal, which had dried up with time. Aunt’s words left him shocked Mukesh recalls that after lunch, he was sitting under a tree doing accounts when his aunt, Sumitra Bai, asked about Rupa Bai and Priyanka. He told her they were near the well. She went there to help them but returned in panic, saying, Neither the well, nor your mother, nor your daughter-in-law is visible. Mukesh says his aunt asked him to check if her eyesight had failed. When he rushed to the spot, he found the well had completely caved in. Sixh hour search ends in tragedy Mukesh says that when he reached the spot, it seemed as if there had never been a well there. He kept shouting for his mother and wife, but there was no response. Soon, villagers gathered with tractors and a JCB, and teams from the administration, police, and revenue department also arrived. Excavation continued for nearly six hours. With every layer of soil removed, the family hoped both would be found alive, but by evening, those hopes were dashed. Rupa Bai’s body was recovered in a standing position from about 12 feet below, while Priyanka’s body was found lying at a depth of 20 feet. Villagers believe Priyanka was closer to the well and began sinking when it collapsed. Rupa likely rushed to save her, but was also buried under the debris. Relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was like that of a mother and daughter Poonam Dangi, the village sarpanch, says, Rupa Bai and Priyanka shared a relationship more like mother-daughter than mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Both used to do most of the household and farm work together. The well where the accident happened was completed just a day before. At the time of the accident, both women were cleaning around it. Three children lost their mother Mukesh and Priyanka got married in 2013. They have an 11-year-old daughter, Sapna, a 4-year-old Sharda, and a 2-year-old son, Mitansh. This accident snatched their mother from the children, while Mukesh lost both his mother and life partner on the same day. Even today, people in Bamangaon stop short when they see that collapsed well, because it wasn’t just soil that collapsed there; a family’s happiness was also buried under that debris.