Weekend outing turns fatal for 20-year-old Pune man as he falls off waterfall near Bhushi dam, dies

Shaikh, who worked as a labourer in Mahalunge, fell around 12.30 pm and was later taken to a local hospital for post-mortem.

PUNE A 20-year-old man from Pune drowned after falling off the top of a waterfall near of Bhushi dam on Sunday afternoon. The deceased has been identified as Raju Babu Shaikh, 20, a resident of Mahalunge, Pune.

Traffic leading to Bhushi dam was stopped at 5 pm on Sunday. (HT FILE PHOTO)

"He was here with his friends and they were at the top of a waterfall located behind the dam. He slipped, fell and drowned. His friends informed the police of the accident. We found the body at 6.30 pm with the help of a few locals," Lonavala city police said on Sunday evening. Shaikh, who worked as a labourer in Mahalunge, fell around 12.30 pm and was later taken to a local hospital for post-mortem.

Traffic leading to Bhushi dam was stopped at 5 pm on Sunday.

"The traffic going in was stopped at 5 pm and people at the dam were asked to leave at 6 pm,” the police said.

The local police had issued directives to avoid vehicular congestion that brings traffic on the road leading towards the tourist attractions to a standstill. The Lonavla city police, under the Pune rural police jurisdiction, said that the traffic towards Bhushi dam and effectively further towards Lion's Point, was stopped.

Bhushi dam, which fills up after the onset of monsoon, annually attracts a large number of tourists from Pune and Mumbai.