Multiple agencies and the Indian Air Force joined forces to rescue more than 100 people stranded at a waterfall in Maharashtra amid heavy rains. According to reports, several picnic-goers were stranded at the Chinchoti waterfall, a popular tourist spot in Tungareshwar hill range at Vasai in Palgarh district of Maharashtra, after heavy downpour lashed the state.
The local police force, fire brigade, disaster management cell and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel sprung into action after they got information about picnickers being trapped at the tourist spot, a spokesperson of the Palghar police said. The local agencies rescued 97 people, but were not able to reach some of the stranded people due to the dense forest and hilly terrain. The IAF was called in to help with rescue operations, he said.
Braving the rough weather, the IAF personnel searched around the waterfall in a helicopter and spotted five people, including three women, stranded at a hilly spot last evening, a state disaster management cell officer was quoted by the PTI.
All the five people were rescued by the IAF and flown to the Mumbai airport, he said.
A 35-year-old man from suburban Kandivli was swept away yesterday by strong currents in the waterfall, the police had earlier said.
The rescue operation was later called off after there was no report of any person stranded or missing in the area, a senior police official said.
(With PTI inputs)
