Two days after a truck of the civic sanitation department and a motorbike fell in after a sinkhole opened on the premises of the City Post Office in Pune, the Pune Municipal Corporation has made clarified that that it was caused by an old well beneath the paved surface. 

The civic body confirmed, after cross-verifying the details, that there was indeed an old well at the site, which had been filled with debris and later covered with a paved surface. The surface collapsed under the weight of the jetting machine truck, unable to support the load, causing the truck to fall into the well. The PMC clarified that its drainage lines are situated far from this location.

After 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.

Later even Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Pune Member of Parliament Murlidhar Mohol also confirmed that the sinkhole was due to the presence of a more than century-old well at the site. 

Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol clarified the situation, stating, “The truck fell into an old well that existed in the City Post premises over a century ago. At some point, the well was covered with a cement slab, though the exact date remains unclear. Later, paving blocks were laid over the slab, and the area was levelled. Some opposition parties have attempted to politicize the incident, blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party, but this accident has no link to any work done by the Pune Municipal Corporation.”

It took two big cranes four hours to pull out the two vehicles. Videos showed the truck sliding into the pit rear-side first as the surface, paved with interlocking cement blocks, caved in. A motorbike parked nearby also fell into the pit. The driver of the jetting machine truck -- used to clean drainage lines -- escaped unhurt.

It was speculated that the incident was result of metro construction nearby. Howver, metro autoriest had clarified that 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.

However, considering the ciruclar shape of sinkhole, Municipal commissioner Rajendra Bhosale had 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.