Mumbai Rains: Woman celebrating birthday drowns in Palghar

Pic courtesy/Hanif Patel

A 21-year-old woman who visited Kohoj Fort to celebrate her birthday allegedly drowned in floodwaters while her four friends were lucky to survive by holding on to the roots of a tree. The incident took place on Tuesday at Kohoj fort situated at Vaghote village near Wada in Palghar district. The deceased identified as Pinkel Shah was a resident of Borivli and had visited Kohoj fort with her friends Virendra Ghorpode, Akash Char, Alan Alvin and Shloka Patade to celebrate her birthday.

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The group was walking through the edge of the dam, holding hands, when Pinkel was swept away by the heavy flow of the floodwaters. On the other hand, her friends managed to save themselves by clinging on to the roots of a tree. When the locals learnt about the incident, they rushed to their rescue and saved the four people. However, Pinkel's body was later discovered at some distance from the spot where the incident took place.

The rivers, small ponds and waterfalls are overflowing due to torrential rains and tourists who visit these spots fail to predict the heavy flow of the water bodies in the area due to such unfortunate incidents occur. The Wada police have conducted the Panchanama and sent the body for autopsy. An ADR (Accidental death report) has also been filed and the investigation is currently underway.

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The collector of Palghar district recently had issued a strict order imposing section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, (according to the law, every member of such "unlawful assembly" can be booked for 'engaging in rioting'. The maximum punishment for such an act is three years) and the Disaster Management Act, 2005, according to which visiting places like waterfall, dams, rivers and ponds in Palghar district are prohibited for a visitor within a one kilometre radius from July 10, 2019, to September 6, 2019.

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