5 Drown at Lonavala Bhushi Dam Waterfall
Three Tourists died and two went missing, including children when the flow of water suddenly increased at Bhushi Dam Waterfall because of heavy rains.
Lonavala, a popular hill station in Maharashtra, turned from a tourist haven to a scene of tragedy on 30th June 2024. Two families from Hadapsar, Pune, visited Lonavala for a picnic. Liyakat Ansari and Yunus Khan, along with 16 family members, went to the waterfall behind the famous Bhushi Dam at around 1:30 pm.
Initially, the water was calm, and ten members, including four children, were playing in the water. Suddenly, due to heavy rain, the water flow increased rapidly, stranding all ten in the middle of the stream. Despite holding onto rocks, five members were swept away by the strong current into the reservoir connected to the dam at around 3 pm.
On-duty police officers and local residents managed to rescue five people. Tragically, one adult and four children were swept away. The Pune rural police, along with local residents, conducted a rescue operation under the supervision of Inspector Shivaji. They recovered the bodies of Shahista Liyakat Ansari (37 years old), Ameena Salman Ansari (13 years old), and Umera Salman Ansari (8 years old). Their bodies have been sent for postmortem.
The search for the remaining two children, Mariya Akil Sayyad (9 years old) and Adnan Sabhahat Ansari (4 years old), was stopped in the evening but will resume the next day. Inspector Shivaji stated that the spot falls under the management of the Indian Railways and Forest Department. They will work with them to implement preventive measures in the area.
Inspector Suhas Jagtap appealed to tourists to avoid dangerous spots during the rain and follow the orders of on-duty police and officials.
The heavy rains have also caused chaos in other parts of the country. In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, the River Ganga flooded, sweeping away parked vehicles on 29th June 2024. Videos of floating cars near “Har ki Pauri” have gone viral.
The authorities are urging everyone to stay safe and be cautious during the monsoon season.
