Tragedy occurred near Bhushi Dam in Lonavala on June 30 when the strong water flow of a waterfall swept away five members of a family. The incident was captured on video and became viral on social media.
The Family Trip:
According to reports, the family, which consisted of 16 or 17 members, had planned to have a picnic in Lonavala after attending a family function. Heavy rains in the area caused the water levels near Bhushi Dam to rise significantly, leading to an overflow around 1 PM.
On June 30, tourists had been enjoying the sight of the waterfall. However, the sudden increase in water levels turned tragic when it swept five members of the Sayyed Nagar family from Hadapsar, Pune, into the dam.
Lonavala Viral Video:
The video depicts a scene of 9 individuals trapped in the strong flow of a waterfall, desperately calling out for help. People on the ground were urging the victims to hold onto each other and are attempting to provide aid.
Despite their efforts, five members of a family are carried away by the rising water. As the water's force grows stronger, a woman holding a young boy and a girl is tragically swept away, along with others who are also caught in the relentless surge.
Victims Bodies Found:
All five members were tragically passed away before being recovered. The search and rescue operation, led by the Shivdurga Rescue Team, recovered the bodies of three victims initially, identified as Shahista Ansari (36), Amima Ansari (13), and Umera Ansari (8). Then, Maria Sayyad's body recovered Monday (July 2) morning. Four-year-old Adnan's body was retrieved at 6 PM on Monday.
The incident occurred between 12:30 and 1:00 PM on Sunday due to heavy rainfall in the Lonavala area. The Bhushi Dam overflowed around 1:00 PM as a result of large volumes of water flowing from the mountains into the dam.
Sunil Gaikwad, Chief of Shivdurga Mitra Mandal Lonavala, said "Our Shivdurga Mitra Team, along with a team from the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Shivaji, participated in the recovery efforts. We advise tourists to exercise caution, especially during the rainy season."
According to reports, 50,000 people visited this place on July 1st alone. Despite warnings issued by authorities due to the wild weather, people ignored the alerts and visited the place.
