Tragedy on Eid: 11-yr-old crushed by freak boulder crash at Panvel waterfall

The family was meant to go to Lonavla for the weekend, but after their car broke down, they instead visited a waterfall near Panvel, where a large boulder came crashing down on them

For the Singhs, their family vacation could not have gone more wrong. With Eid falling on a Saturday, the family had decided to use the long weekend to holiday at Lonavla. But as fate and a series of misfortunes would have it, they instead ended up visiting a waterfall at Panvel, where they eventually lost their 11-year-old son to a freak boulder crash.

The Khar-based family was bathing in the waterfall when a large boulder suddenly came crashing down upon them. 11-year-old Ajay Singh was the hardest hit, and he finally succumbed to his injuries at MGM Hospital on Wednesday night. His father, Dinesh (35), was merely bruised, but his six-year-old cousin is currently in critical condition.

Bad omen?
On the morning of Eid on July 18, the family drove out from their Khar residence towards Lonavla, where they were to spend the next two days. However, in what could be viewed as a bad omen, their car broke down as they neared Panvel. In fact, Dinesh even considered cancelling the trip.

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“Dinesh had decided to cancel the plan as the car had broken down. However, the kids and other family members said that since the trip was undertaken after a very long time, it should not be cancelled,” said a relative. Instead, the Singhs decided to visit their relatives near Panvel while the car was being repaired.

They hailed an auto rickshaw to their relatives’ house, but when the auto driver heard them talking about their foiled holiday plans, he suggested they visit a local waterfall instead. “The kids got excited and told Dinesh to take them to the waterfall. Dinesh went into the water with his son Ajay and nephew Manthan.

They were enjoying the waterfall when a huge boulder came crashing down on them. There was no sound or any warning of the rock falling. It hit Ajay first, and then Manthan and Dinesh,” the relative added. The family was rushed to MGM Hospital in Vashi, where Ajay breathed his last on Wednesday night.

Ajay’s body was taken home to Khar yesterday, while Dinesh who received a shoulder injury has also been discharged so he can attend to his son’s final rites. Six-year-old Manthan, meanwhile, is still fighting for his life at the hospital.

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