A total of 116 revellers were rescued after a two hours long rescue operation in Kharghar Hill after they being trapped following heavy rainfall on Sunday. The level of water had risen in a stream due to incessant rainfalls and it became difficult for revellers to cross it.
Watch the video of the rescue operation here
Police said that revellers thronged at a waterfall located at sector 5 in Kharghar Hills. However, they got stuck following heavy rainfall and sought help from the Kharghar Fire brigade. A total of 15 firemen executed the operation and saved all of them.
The Kharghar police along with the fire brigade officials rescued 116 revellers including 78 females and 5 children.
The police and Forest department had forbidden entry at the Pandavkada waterfall and revellers went to other waterfalls in the hilly area.
"Due to incessant rains in that area in the afternoon, the stream got swollen and these people were stuck in the hills. The police and the fire brigade officials rescued them using a ladder and a plastic rope. The rescue operation started a little after 5 pm and it continued for two hours," the police said.
Shatrughna Mali, senior inspector of Kharghar police station said, “These revellers were from different places of Navi Mumbai and Mumbai. They had been to the hills by crossing the stream earlier in the day and were roaming around there as it was Sunday. However, due to heavy rainfall, the stream got swollen and thus it was impossible for them to return. After we learnt about it, we reached there along with the fire brigade officials and rescued all the people. No one suffered injuries in the rescue operation.”
“We have deployed officials so that no one can enter the hills. However, the hills are covering a huge area at Kharghar, and our six to seven officials prove insufficient to keep the entire region under surveillance. On Sunday, we did not take action against rescued revellers for illegally entering the hills, as they were all horrified. But we will not spare anyone from now on,” he said.
