Teen who fell 70 ft from under-construction Panvel flyover rescued by fire brigade

A 16-year-old boy who fell about 70 feet from an under-construction flyover in Panvel on Tuesday night was rescued. According to officials, the boy was allegedly bursting firecrackers during Diwali celebrations.

The teenager is a resident of Old Panvel. At around 10.25 pm on November 10, he fell at a hard-to-reach spot near the flyover leading to the Navi Mumbai International Airport.

On receiving information about the incident, the Panvel fire department sent two fire engines to the spot. On reaching, the firefighters found that the boy was lying about 70 to 80 feet below the flyover, at a place that could not be reached easily, an official said.

Seeing the situation, the rescue team called in more personnel and equipment. Two firefighters then walked about one and a half kilometres along a difficult route to reach the spot where the boy had fallen.

Three ropes, a body harness, a helmet and three torches were used in the rescue. After securing the boy properly, the firefighters pulled him up to the flyover and brought him out safely.

The entire operation was carried out under the supervision of Sub-Station Officer Shubham Rathod. Firefighters Shiva Ade, Shubhangi Ghule, Shankar Wakade, Vikrant Sapkal, Sunil More, Pritam Patil, Nikitesh Dukare and Pranay Mhaskar took part in the rescue. Drivers Akash Nalwade and Shivlal Aldar also assisted the team.

The incident has raised concern over public access to under-construction flyovers, especially during festival celebrations. 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, which could lead to accidents.

Panvel Municipal Corporation Commissioner Mangesh Chitale congratulated the firefighters and other staff involved in the operation for their courage, prompt action and coordination.