Nashik | Nine members of a family, including six children, were killed after their car fell into an open well in Maharashtra's Nashik district, police said on Saturday.
The accident occurred in the Shivaji Nagar area of Dindori town around 10 pm on Friday, an official said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths of children in the tragic incident, and said that he has ordered an immediate safety audit of open wells in public areas.
According to the police, the victims were returning home after attending a function at a banquet hall in the area when their car fell into a well on the roadside near the venue.
Personnel from the local police and emergency services arrived at the scene and retrieved the car and its occupants with the help of two cranes and swimmers around midnight.
The victims were members of the Dargude family from Indore village in Dindori taluka, the official said.
The deceased were identified as Sunil Dattu Dargude (32), his wife Reshma, Asha Anil Dargude (32), and six children from the family, including five girls in the age group of seven to 14 years and an 11-year-old boy.
The bodies were brought to the government hospital in Dindori, the official said, adding that a case has been registered.
State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan visited the accident spot. He said that the administration has been directed to close the well, and that the government will provide assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased persons.
The Nashik collector has been asked to probe the incident and submit an inquiry report, he said.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis termed the accident "extremely unfortunate".
Preliminary information indicated that the well had a low boundary wall and was in the middle of a frequently accessed area, he said.
The state government has announced financial assistance for the affected family, he said, adding that instructions have been issued to identify and review all wells situated on roads or in areas with public movement.
"Such locations must be audited to assess whether these wells are necessary and what safety measures can be implemented," he said, noting that a higher protective wall could have prevented the tragedy.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde termed the accident as heart-wrenching and painful.