E-Paper
Trekker who went missing near Sinhagad fort found dead
The police officials confirmed that Hemang Gala died after heavy boulders fell due to landslide on him while he was climbing Sinhagad fort, a popular tourist destination near Pune
A 27-year-old Pune based trekker Hemang Gala who had gone missing since the rock slide at Kalyan darwaza, Sinhagad fort, on Saturday at around 9 am – was found dead Sunday morning, officials said. The police officials confirmed that Gala died after heavy boulders fell due to landslide on him while he was climbing Sinhagad Fort, a popular tourist destination near Pune.
A body of Gala, resident of Mitramandal chowk, was recovered 150 feet down during the ongoing rescue operations. Meanwhile, the other five trekkers who were near Kalyan darwaza managed to survive the landslide.
These trekkers were among the 300 who participated in the ‘Sinhagad epic trail’ organised on Saturday. The trek route was Atkarwadi-Golewadi chowk at the foothills of Sinhagad-Kondanpur phata-Kondanpur-Kalyan-Kalyan darwaza-Narveer Tanhaji Malusare Samadhi-Pune darwaza-Gadital Atkarwadi. Volunteers were stationed at all points along the trek, which started at 6 am.
At 9 am, within a few minutes of five to six trekkers having reached the Kalyan darwaza point, a landslide occurred. The volunteers who witnessed the landslide immediately alerted the other trekkers who then used another route to reach the top of Sinhagad fort.
It was only after the organisers took a headcount of all participants that evening that they realised one person namely Hemang Gala was missing and informed the haveli police. Following lodging of the complaint, police and forest department officials of PMRDA as well as residents started searching for the missing trekker.
Assistant police inspector Nitin Nam said, “We were informed in the evening on Saturday and started our search at night but since it was dark, we could not continue the search at night. It was in the morning that we located the body.”
“The trekkers should take care of the weather before planning a trek during the monsoon. The body was located early in the morning,” said range forest officer Pradip Sankpal.
Gala, a businessman from Pune, had previously also undertaken such mission of trekking. As he did not reach home by evening as scheduled, Gala’s family members began searching for him. A search and rescue operation was carried out by the authorities late into the night till his body was found.
According to forest officials, there were heavy louds along with mountainside, with mist and a dense fog covering the top reducing visibility. “Around 9am, when the trekkers were climbing towards Kalyan Darwaja, some soil and heavy boulders came rolling down. Gala was walking on the path where boulders came cascading. He was swept away 50 feet into the valley by the rockfall and buried under the debris. No one from his trekking group noticed it,” the police officer said.
The Sinhagad epic trail was organised in four categories as follows:
11 km: 11 km + 790 metre elevation + 3 hours and 30 minutes cut-off time.
22 km: half marathon distance + 1,220 metre elevation + 6 hours cut-off time.
32 km: 32 km + 1,560 metre elevation + 9 hours cut-off time + 2 UTMB points
42 km: full marathon distance + 2,190 metre elevation + 2 UTMB Points + 12 hours cut-off time
