Man trekking to Irshalgad fort falls 400ft, dies

NAVI MUMBAI: A 26-year-old professional trekker is suspected to have fallen 400ft to his death from a cliff while on his way to Irshalgad fort in Raigad district on Sunday. The operation to retrieve his body took 12 hours.

Aakash Rajendra Waghmode, a resident of Tadali village in Bhiwandi who worked with a private firm, left his two-wheeler at the base of the hills before heading for the fort by himself. He is suspected to have slipped, fallen and got trapped in some of the debris of the July 2023 Irshalwadi landslide that claimed 84 lives.

A rescue team from Lonavla was pressed into service, but the terrain posed a challenge. Police and other rescuers used a rope and a stretcher to rappel down the hill and retrieve his body. One of the rescuers said it was Waghmode's first trek to Irshalwadi fort. —Umesh K Parida