Teen falls 80 ft from under-construction flyover in Panvel, rescued by fire brigade

A Diwali celebration in Panvel nearly ended in tragedy on Tuesday night when a 16-year-old boy fell about 70 to 80 feet from a flyover under construction near Karnala Sports. Firefighters of the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) walked about 1.5 km through difficult terrain and brought him out safely using ropes and a body harness. Officials said the boy suffered no serious injury.

The boy is Shivansh Damle, a resident of Line Ali in Old Panvel. He is said to have gone to burst firecrackers on the new flyover leading towards Navi Mumbai International Airport. The incident took place at about 10.25 pm on Tuesday.

On receiving news of the incident, the Panvel fire brigade immediately sent two fire engines to the spot. On reaching, the firefighters found that the boy had fallen 70 to 80 feet below the flyover, at a place that was not easy to reach. The team then called for additional manpower and rescue equipment.

Two firefighters walked about 1.5 km to the spot where the boy had fallen. Three ropes, a body harness, helmets and three torches were used in the rescue. In the difficult conditions, the personnel carefully secured the boy and pulled him up to the flyover.

The entire operation was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Fire Station Officer Shubham Rathod. The firefighters involved in the rescue were Shiva Ade, Shubhangi Ghule, Shankar Wakade, Vikrant Sapkal, Sunil More, Pritam Patil, Nikitesh Dukare and Pranay Mhaskar. Drivers Akash Nalawade and Shivlal Aldar were also part of the team.

PMC Commissioner Mangesh Chitale praised the courage, quick action and coordination of the firefighters and other staff involved in the operation.

The incident has also raised concern over public movement on the flyover while it is under construction. Chief Fire Officer Pravin Bodkhe appealed to citizens not to gather there or burst firecrackers. He warned that construction work is under way at the site, so the risk of accidents remains.