The mortal remains of a woman and a female child were recovered on Tuesday, after the two fell 600 feet off Nagphani point at Bhimashankar near Pune on Monday. The identities of the two have not yet been ascertained.
While the child is estimated to be eight years of age, the woman is estimated to be in her early 30s.
A Batallion-5 team of the National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) from the Sudumbare area of Pune was called in a day after rescue efforts by local trekking groups and police failed. The two are believed to have fallen off the edge at 4pm on March 4. Initial reports cited that a man and a woman had fallen. However, the bodies recovered were that of a woman and a child, believed to be related, according to NDRF officials.
"Yes, we have found the bodies. The network connection is bad in the area where they fell. One body could be seen yesterday (Monday) itself, but the fall is so steep that the local police could not reach it. A purse was found much later (9pm) and is still being brought up. The contents of the purse will help us identify the victims, because the bodies are pretty mangled," said Gajanan Tomte, deputy superitendent, sub-divisional police officer of Khed division.
"We have trekking equipment and local trekkers are also helping us. It was a joint effort. We were called today (Tuesday) and the operation took over four hours. The operation came to a close at 6:30pm," said second commandant Shiv Kumar, under whose supervision the NDRF team was operating.
{{/usCountry}}"We have trekking equipment and local trekkers are also helping us. It was a joint effort. We were called today (Tuesday) and the operation took over four hours. The operation came to a close at 6:30pm," said second commandant Shiv Kumar, under whose supervision the NDRF team was operating.
{{/usCountry}}Located 95km away from the NDRF Batallion-5 location, the accident spot is a major pilgrim attraction on Mahashivratri, celebrated on Monday, due to the Bhimashankar temple.
The incident happened in the jurisdiction of Khed police station of Pune rural police where the deaths will be recorded as accidental. The police are tracing the details of the man who reported the incident in an effort to ascertain whether the two women fell, or jumped off the edge.