Incident at Popular Waterfall
A 21-year-old man died, one remains missing, and three others were rescued after a sudden flash flood swept away a group of five friends visiting a waterfall in Thane district, Maharashtra, on Sunday. The incident occurred at a popular waterfall near Chondhe in Dolkhamb area under Shahapur taluka, where the group from Kalyan had gathered for a weekend outing.
Rapid Weather Change Causes Disaster
An official reported that the weather in the forest belt changed rapidly on Sunday afternoon, leading to torrential, localised heavy rain akin to a cloudburst. Within minutes, water levels in the local stream rose sharply, sweeping the five tourists away in the powerful current.
Rescue Operation and Casualties
Rescue personnel rushed to the spot immediately. Despite fast-flowing water and persistent rain, three individuals were pulled out to safety during a challenging rescue effort, the official said. The deceased has been identified as Akash Deshmukh (21), a resident of Adharwadi in Kalyan. His body was recovered by search teams downstream later in the evening.
Search for Missing Tourist
The missing tourist has been identified as Dinesh Mandalkar (34), from Kalyan East. Intensive search operations are under way to trace him. Local authorities have repeatedly issued warnings and appealed to tourists to refrain from visiting waterfalls, rivers, and overflow spots during the monsoon season.
