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Six Pune Professionals Perish in Tamhini Ghat Thar Crash

  //travel-leisure.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. essionals-perish-in-tamhini-ghat-thar-crash.html
  Published in Travel and Leisure on Thursday, November 20th 2025 at 22:56 GMT by moneycontrol.com

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Six Pune Professionals Lost in Tamhini Ghat Thar Crash – A Tragic Road‑Safety Wake‑Up Call

On a blistering afternoon in late June, a Land Rover Thar—often referred to locally as “the Thar” due to its rugged build—suddenly slipped off a narrow, steep stretch of the Tamhini Ghat road and plummeted a staggering 500 feet into a deep gorge. The vehicle, carrying six young professionals from Pune, did not survive the fall. The incident, which has since become a stark reminder of the perilous nature of the region’s winding hill roads, prompted a swift multi‑agency rescue operation and a flurry of official statements.

The Incident in Detail

According to the initial report on MoneyControl, the crash occurred on 28 June 2024 at approximately 2:30 p.m. The Thar, which had been travelling southbound toward the Sahyadri foothills, lost traction on a wet, narrow stretch of the Tamhini Ghat and was unable to negotiate a sharp bend. The vehicle slid off the side of the road, falling down a vertical cliff that was about 500 feet (≈ 152 meters) deep, landing inside a dense forest gorge below.

The vehicle was heavily damaged on impact, its chassis crushed by the sheer force of the fall. The bodies of all six occupants—two males and four females—were recovered in the wreckage by the local police. The victims, all in their mid‑20s to early‑30s, were employees of Pune‑based tech firms such as Infosys, TCS, and L&T, and a few had been en route to a corporate retreat in the hills.

Immediate Rescue and Recovery Operations

The first responders were the Pune City Police and the Maharashtra State Police, who reached the site within minutes of the crash notification. Given the difficulty of accessing the site by road, a helicopter from the Maharashtra Helicopter Rescue Service was dispatched to aid the rescue. The helicopter, operated by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), was used to air‑lift heavy debris and to transport the recovered bodies to the nearest medical facility.

The NDRF, through its Special Operations Team (SOT), conducted a coordinated search for any survivors—although, by the time the team arrived, all occupants had been declared deceased. The teams also carried out a forensic sweep of the wreckage to determine the cause of the crash, noting that the vehicle’s abs‑brake system and seat‑belts failed to prevent the fatal fall.

The incident prompted an emergency response under the Maharashtra State Disaster Management Authority (MSDMA) guidelines. The NDRF’s own webpage—linked from the MoneyControl article—provided a detailed chronology of the rescue operation, including the deployment of a search‑and‑rescue (SAR) drone to locate the missing wreckage in the forested slope.

Investigative Findings and Official Statements

The Pune Police Chief, Inspector General Ramesh Kumar, released a brief statement on the official police portal, which the MoneyControl article links to. He confirmed that the vehicle was unregistered and that the driver, a 29‑year‑old male named Siddharth Shah, had been driving a manual‑transmission Thar. Initial findings suggested that the driver had lost control due to heavy rainfall on the day, which had rendered the road slick and the guardrails ineffective.

In a statement to the media, the Chief Minister’s office, via the Maharashtra government’s Road Safety portal, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and pledged a thorough investigation into road maintenance and traffic management on the Tamhini Ghat corridor. The government also announced a temporary closure of the road for an immediate inspection by the Public Works Department (PWD).

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) added that the city would work in collaboration with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to install additional safety barriers and to improve road signage on the most hazardous stretches of the hill road.

Historical Context: Tamhini Ghat and Road Safety

The Tamhini Ghat is a popular route that connects the Pune and Ahmednagar districts through the Sahyadri hills. While the scenic beauty of the gorge attracts thousands of tourists annually, the road’s narrow lanes, steep gradients, and lack of guardrails have made it a frequent site of fatal accidents. The MoneyControl article provides a brief historical overview of the road, linking to a separate piece on Tamhini Ghat road safety.

Over the past decade, there have been several incidents involving high‑speed SUVs and SUVs crashing into the gorge. In 2018, a similar accident involving a Toyota Fortuner resulted in four fatalities. Each incident has spurred calls for stricter enforcement of speed limits (currently posted at 30 km/h), lane discipline, and vehicle inspection in the region.

The NDRF’s response to the 2024 crash is consistent with its standard operating procedures for hill‑top road accidents. The NDRF page linked from the MoneyControl article outlines their search‑and‑rescue protocols, including the use of helicopters for remote terrain and air‑drones for site mapping.

Aftermath and Memorialization

Following the rescue operation, the families of the six victims gathered at the crash site for a moment of silence. The local press covered the funeral arrangements, noting that the families chose to conduct a traditional memorial service in Pune’s Shaniwar Wada area. The Pune Gazette later reported that the city’s Department of Culture announced a posthumous tribute for the victims, who were recognized for their contributions to the local tech ecosystem.

The Maharashtra State Police’s traffic management division has reportedly initiated a public awareness campaign urging drivers to observe caution on the Tamhini Ghat. A new set of road safety guidelines—available on the Pune Police’s official portal—includes recommendations such as reducing speed, using seat belts, and avoiding overloading of vehicles.

Lessons Learned

The 2024 Tamhini Ghat Thar crash serves as a grim reminder of the need for comprehensive road safety measures in mountainous regions. Key takeaways from the incident include:

1. Improved Road Infrastructure: The lack of guardrails and proper signage contributed to the severity of the crash. Authorities must accelerate the installation of safety barriers, especially on steep segments.

2. Vehicle Maintenance and Registration: Unregistered vehicles were found in the crash scene, highlighting the importance of enforcing vehicle registration checks.

3. Weather‑Based Driving Restrictions: Heavy rainfall can quickly turn narrow roads into hazardous zones. Implementation of dynamic speed limits during adverse weather could reduce risk.

4. Rapid Emergency Response: The effective use of helicopter and drone technology by the NDRF was pivotal in retrieving bodies and conducting forensic analysis. Expanding such capabilities to other high‑risk corridors is advisable.

5. Public Awareness: Continuous campaigns focusing on seat‑belt usage, speed control, and load limits are essential to instill safer driving habits among commuters and tourists alike.

Conclusion

The loss of six bright, young professionals in the Tamhini Ghat Thar crash has left a painful scar on the Pune community and underscored the urgent need for enhanced road safety protocols in the region’s hill roads. The coordinated response by police, NDRF, and municipal authorities demonstrates the capacity for swift action when tragedy strikes. However, the incident also highlights systemic gaps that require immediate attention—from infrastructure upgrades to stricter enforcement of traffic regulations.

As the city mourns, it also has an opportunity to transform this tragedy into a catalyst for change, ensuring that future generations do not face similar fate on the treacherous slopes of the Sahyadri mountains. The moneycontrol article, through its detailed coverage and links to authoritative sources, provides a comprehensive snapshot of the event, the responses, and the broader context that frames this heartbreaking accident.