Pune: Three Feared Trapped After Lohagad Landslide; Rescue Underway As Heavy Rains Disrupt Pune-Mumbai Traffic

Pune: Three members of a family are feared trapped after a landslide buried their house in Patan village near the foothills of Lohagad Fort in Pune district's Maval tehsil in the early hours of Monday, as relentless rainfall continued to batter the region and severely disrupted road connectivity between Pune and Mumbai.

According to police, heavy overnight rain triggered three landslides in the remote village, with one of them burying a house under a mound of debris. Police received information about the landslide shortly after the incident, and initial reports indicated that a family had been trapped beneath the debris. Officials suspect that three members of the family were inside the house when the landslide struck.

Rescue teams were immediately rushed to the spot, and a massive search and rescue operation is underway. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, fire brigade and local authorities are working in challenging conditions to locate and rescue those trapped beneath the debris. Continuous rainfall, unstable terrain and difficult access have made the operation particularly difficult.

"The house was buried under the debris after a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall. It is suspected that three persons were inside when the incident occurred," Deputy Superintendent of Police (Lonavala Division) Gajanan Tompe said.

The landslide near Lohagad is among several rain-related emergencies reported across Pune district as torrential showers continue to lash the region. Authorities have urged residents in hilly and landslide-prone areas to remain vigilant and move to safer locations if advised by local officials.

In another rain-related incident, an NDRF team rescued 37 passengers stranded inside a private bus after severe waterlogging near Ghorawadi railway station in Maval tehsil.

The severe weather also crippled road connectivity between Pune and Mumbai. Traffic on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway was initially suspended in both directions following landslide-related incidents and damage to infrastructure. Authorities later opened one lane for vehicles travelling towards Pune, while the Pune-to-Mumbai carriageway remains closed for traffic.

The old Mumbai-Pune Highway also continues to remain shut due to waterlogging at multiple stretches, while flood-like conditions in Maval taluka and the Tamhini Ghat region have rendered alternate routes unsafe, leaving commuters with limited travel options.

Earlier, Inspector General of Police (Kolhapur Range) Ranjan Kumar Sharma had appealed to the public to avoid non-essential travel between Pune and Mumbai until further notice, citing hazardous weather and road conditions. Authorities have urged commuters to rely only on official traffic advisories issued by the police and district administration.

Officials said restoration of traffic will depend on weather conditions and the completion of the rescue operation, road clearance and safety inspections. With heavy rainfall continuing across western Maharashtra, authorities remain on high alert for further landslides, flooding and other rain-related emergencies.