Three Mumbai tourists rescued alive after car falls 150 feet into gorge at Pune's Pabe Ghat

Three tourists from Mumbai had a narrow escape at Pabe Ghat in Pune on Saturday morning. Their car slid backwards on a wet road and fell into a gorge about 150 feet deep. All three were brought out alive and taken for treatment.

The accident took place at around 7.30 am on Saturday, October 31. The car was climbing the ghat and heading towards Torna Fort. The occupants had set out from Hadapsar. They were Monis Arvind Chabradia, Ritika Singh and Umesh Bagade, all residents of Mumbai.

According to the information available so far, the car suddenly stalled midway up the slope. As the driver tried to restart it, the vehicle began rolling backwards because of the rain and the damp road. Within moments it went out of control and fell into the gorge by the roadside.

Tourists travelling behind the car saw the accident and rushed to help. Before the rescue team reached the spot, they climbed down into the gorge with a rope and brought the three occupants out safely.

Soon afterwards, a local rescue team joined the relief work. It included Tanaji Bhosale, Tay Sapkal, Sandeep Solaskar and Dilip Talekar. Through their combined efforts, the three were brought up from the gorge.

The injured were first taken to the primary health centre at Velhe. After initial treatment there, they were sent to Pune city for further treatment. The nature of their injuries could not be ascertained.

Locals said it was astonishing that all three survived a fall from such a depth. The quick action of both the tourists who helped and the rescue team is being praised in the area.

The accident has again raised the question of safety on ghat roads. Ghat roads become slippery in the rain, and a vehicle that stalls or rolls back on a slope can cause a serious accident. On such routes, proper vehicle maintenance, regular brake checks and a safe distance from other vehicles are essential.