A tourist lost his life while another remains missing after five tourists were swept away by a sudden flash flood triggered by cloudburst-like rainfall near a waterfall in Maharashtra's Thane district on Sunday.
Rescue teams, supported by local police and district administration officials, launched an immediate search and rescue operation after receiving information about the incident, NDTV reported.
Three of the tourists were pulled to safety following a challenging operation carried out amid strong currents and heavy rainfall.
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Officials later recovered the body of one tourist, while another remains missing.
Search efforts are continuing despite adverse weather conditions, with multiple agencies combing the area to trace the missing person.
According to preliminary information, the group had gathered near the popular waterfall in the Dolkhamb area of ​​Shahapur in Thane district for a weekend outing when the weather deteriorated rapidly, the report added.
Within minutes, torrential rain caused the water level to rise sharply, transforming the otherwise calm stream into a raging torrent.
The sudden surge left the tourists with virtually no time to escape, sweeping five of them away in the powerful currents.
Emergency responders rushed to the spot soon after the incident was reported and conducted rescue operations under extremely challenging conditions.
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Officials said the search operation is being carried out on a war footing, although persistent rainfall and fast-flowing water continue to hamper efforts.
The tragedy has once again underscored the dangers of visiting waterfalls, rivers and other low-lying tourist spots during the monsoon, when cloudbursts and heavy rainfall can trigger flash floods within minutes.
Authorities have repeatedly appealed to tourists to avoid venturing into vulnerable areas during periods of intense rainfall and to strictly follow weather advisories and local administration warnings to prevent such incidents.
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