Landslide on E-way claims one from city

One person was killed and seven others, including two children, were injured following a landslide near Khandala ghat section of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the wee hours of Monday.

The mishap took place near Adoshi tunnel, a part of Baur village ghat section, some 52 kms from Pune.

The deceased has been identified as Anand Shyamrao Lad, 41, of Urankar chawl in Girgaon, Mumbai, and the injured are Hanumant Pundalik More, 41, Anuradha More, 38, Sanket More, 5, Samarth More, 6, Kamlabai Lad, 35, Suvarna Lad, 38, and Hausabai Daji Lad, 55. All had gone to Pandharpur and were returning to Mumbai.
The traffic on the expressway came to standstill for about four hours after the mishap. According to the police, Lad’s body was crushed under the boulders.

“The landslide started at around 3.30 am and continued till 4 am.
The boulders fell down on the Scorpio jeep from the height of 50 feet,” police officials said.

“It was a miracle that the others survived,” added a police official.
The injured were rushed to MGM hospital in Panvel.
The Indian Road Builders (IRB) officials said that after the mishap, traffic at the Mumbai corridor was diverted. The Mumbai corridor was thrown open at 7 am.

IRB has been entrusted by the state government for the maintenance of the expressway. It had rained in the in Khandala ghat area on Sunday.