Tourists, trekkers evacuated amid heavy rain, Raigad Fort closed till July 31

Navi Mumbai: As a safety precaution during heavy downpour, the district collector on Monday, announced the closure of Raigad Fort for visitors till July 31. The decision came after the police and other district authorities evacuated several tourists and trekkers stranded at the fort, located around 170 km from Mumbai.

The Raigad district witnessed heavy rains over the last 24 hours, due to which a number of visitors were stuck at the fort, a famous monument which was once the capital of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Raigad witnessed cloudburst-like rain and tourists visiting Raigad Fort got stuck in the strong current on Sunday. In a video that is going viral on the internet, the tourists can be seen climbing down holding each other and taking support of the fort walls.

Due to water gushing at full speed from the fort and the adjoining areas at the ‘Payri Marg’ (step way) of the fort, tourists were facing difficulty in walking along that stretch leading to a panic-like situation amongst the 100-odd visitors who were evacuated by creating a human chain. “The sudden change in weather conditions and the heavy rainfall had resulted in water flowing with immense speed even from the pathway to the fort. The sight of water flowing with such intensity had caused tourists to panic. They were consistently being asked to wait for the water flow to decrease but due to fear everyone was trying to get out together which added to the chaos,” said an official from Raigad police.

The scare situation was resolved within 20 minutes, but the Raigad collector decided to not take any more chances. The collector’s office has instructed them to close access to the fort until the month’s end. To ensure the order is implemented, around 15 police staff have been deployed near the fort area to prevent tourists from entering the premises.

The police department has also deployed personnel both at the top as well as at the foot of the fort. There are barricades placed along with a board informing there is no access to the fort. “The situation on Sunday could have escalated as the access to the fort is only through a stairway. The entire area has been barricaded after ensuring no one is stuck or stranded in any part of the fort,” said Raigad SP Somnath Gharge.

No other places in Raigad are shut for tourists but police stated that it’s best to avoid slippery areas and water bodies while it is raining.