In a tragic incident, five members of a family, including two children, were swept away by strong currents at a waterfall near the Bhushi Dam in Pune’s Lonavala area while two others managed to swim to the shore.
Rescue teams recovered the bodies of three family members while the search for the two missing children is currently underway.
A video of the heart-wrenching incident has gone viral on social media. It shows a man and a woman standing in the gushing waters desperately holding on to their children to prevent them from being swept with the current while people on the bank are heard urging them to stay firm while others trying to uproot a vine to use it as a rope to rescue them.
Tragically, the water level suddenly surged, causing the family to lose their footing and sweep away with the current even as the tourists on the banks tried to help them but the gushing water made it impossible for anyone to jump in for their rescue.
The heartbreaking incident occurred on Sunday afternoon. Police and rescuers promptly arrived at the scene after receiving the information and began a search for the survivors.
The incident triggered outrage on social media with many nettizens questioning the security arrangements near the dam and the waterfall.