Pune: A 35-year-old man from Ghodegaon in Ambegaon taluka died after a boulder came crashing down on him while he was descending Harishchandragad, around 120km from the city, on Sunday morning. The accident took place around 10.30am, when victim Suresh Damse was descending from the Junnar Darwaja side, Pune Rural police said. Rupesh Jagtap of the Junnar Rescue Team told TOI that for Mahashivratri, several people had climbed the fort to offer prayers at the Shiva temple atop. “Damse also went to the fort early in the morning. While descending, a loose boulder came crashing down and hit him on the head,” Jagtap said. Jagtap said that Damse fell unconscious, news of which reached rescuers, who then rushed to the spot. “We made a makeshift stretcher and lifted Damse onto it. The route in that section of the fort is quite tough to navigate,” he said, adding, “The team and locals walked at least 5km and brought Damse down to Khireshwar village at the foothills. He was then taken to a hospital in an ambulance.” Assistant police inspector Lahu Thate of the Otur police said the injured person was pronounced dead by the doctors. “We are in the process of registering a case of accidental death,” Thate said.
