Maharashtra Rain Furry: Several tourists were left stranded after a small bridge over the Venna River near the popular Venna Lake tourist spot in Maharashtra’s Mahabaleshwar collapsed after being damaged
by incessant rainfall on Monday.
The incident took place in Satara’s Mahabaleshwar as heavy rain continued to lash the hill station, disrupting normal life and damaging infrastructure.
After the bridge collapsed, local authorities and rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched an operation to safely evacuate stranded tourists.
Visuals shared on social media platforms showed vehicles left stranded on the inaccessible side of the river being shifted with the help of cranes.
The heavy rainfall has also caused flooding in several parts of Mahabaleshwar. Residential areas near Venna Lake and Lingmala were inundated after the downpour triggered a flood-like situation, affecting both residents and visitors.
Mahabaleshwar received 513 mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours, leading to widespread waterlogging and damage to public infrastructure.
The district administration has advised people to avoid unnecessary travel and remain in safe places until weather conditions improve. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation as heavy rains persist across the region.
The incident comes as relentless monsoon rains continue to batter Maharashtra, disrupting normal life across Mumbai, the Konkan region, central Maharashtra and parts of Vidarbha.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alerts for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, warning of extremely heavy rainfall. Schools have been shut in several districts, while authorities have advised people to remain indoors unless necessary.
Heavy rain has also disrupted transport across the state, with local train services in Mumbai facing delays and landslides affecting the Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai-Goa corridors.
The severe weather has claimed several lives in recent days. In Mumbai, a three-storey building collapsed in a suburban chawl, killing a woman and three children, while two others died in separate incidents after being struck by falling tree branches. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the families of those killed.
