Three Men Avert Major Landslide Tragedy Near Lonavla Tunnel On Missing Link

Three young men averted a major disaster in the early hours of July 6 after a landslide struck near the exit of Tunnel 2 on the Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Missing Link near Lonavla. Sandesh Kharat, 24, Akshay Landge, 32, and Roshan Sargar, 22, used an emergency SOS button to alert authorities and actively stopped oncoming motorists to warn them of the danger, preventing vehicles from getting trapped in the falling debris.

The incident occurred around 3:00 AM when the trio was travelling along the corridor. The three men had departed from their hometown in Sangli district on the night of July 5. As their multi-utility vehicle (MUV) reached the exit of Tunnel 2 near Lonavla, they noticed a heavy flow of rainwater cascading down the hillside near the tunnel, along with loose stones falling from above.

Sensing immediate danger, Kharat and his friends stopped their vehicle about 200 metres from where the landslide was developing. Kharat quickly located and pressed an emergency SOS button, which sent an immediate alert to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) control room in Pune.

Even before the authorities could respond, the three men took immediate action to protect other travellers on the route. They stood on the highway to flag down and stop approaching vehicles, warning drivers that the Mumbai-bound carriageway had been blocked by a landslide. They advised the oncoming motorists to take a U-turn and continue their journey via the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

Their prompt thinking and courageous actions successfully prevented motorists from being caught in the landslide debris. The early warning also enabled the highway traffic police to safely halt traffic and divert vehicles before any accidents could occur on the busy stretch.