PUNE: A woman and her three daughters from Dhankawadi drowned after their hatchback car plunged into the Khadakwasla dam’s backwaters at Kuran Phata in Velhe taluka, about 34km from the city, around 4.30pm on Friday.
The woman’s husband, Vitthal Bhikule (46), was driving the car. He lost control of the wheel while negotiating a sharp turn known as ‘Mavlai Valan’ and the car fell into the backwaters, said assistant inspector Manoj Pawar of the Velhe police.
“Bhikule, an employee of a private company, tried to save his wife Alpana (45), and daughters Prajakta (21), Praneeta (17) and Vaidehi (8), but in vain. He then swam to the bank and alerted residents of the area,” Pawar said.
Bhikule and his wife managed to come out of the car after it plunged in the water. However, the wife could not swim and drowned. A team from the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (PMRDA) fire brigade later recovered her body. Their daughters could not come out of the car.
Pawar said the Bhikules hail from Vihir village in Velhe taluka. The family was presently staying at Chavannagar in Dhankawadi.
“The family had gone to Vihir village on Friday morning for a house warming function of their relative. The accident occurred when they were returning to Pune,” Pawar said.
He said the accident spot was not easily accessible. “Along with the local residents, our team members had entered the water to search for the family. Later, the car was towed till the bank with the help of a vehicle. The bodies of the three girls were inside the car,” Pawar said, adding that they had been sent for a post-mortem.