Two dead in Maharashtra's Latur as excavator catches fire, explodes during digging work

Latur: Two elderly persons were killed and another was injured when an excavator engaged in well digging work caught fire and exploded here in central Maharashtra, police said on Monday.The incident took place on Sunday at Devkara village under Ahmedpur tehsil of Latur district, they said.The deceased were identified by the police as Prabhakar Vinayak Murkute (63) and Pandurang Dahiphale (68), residents of villages under Ahmedpur tehsil.According to the police, the excavator (a JCB machine) was carrying out the well digging work in a farm of Murkute when it suddenly caught fire and exploded.Both victims were following the machine when the incident took place, the police added.The excavator driver, Bhagatraj Narayanraj Sareaam, a resident of Chilkha village in Madhya Pradesh, sustained serious injuries and was admitted to a hospital in Ambejogai town for treatment, they said.An accidental case has been registered at the Kingao police station, they added.