Pune man fears 35 relatives are dead

Kin rush to Malin village blocked by road clogged by vehicles.

A house that was damaged in the landslide. (Source: Express Photo)

Relatives of ill-fated villagers of Malin in Ambegaon taluka of Pune district had a harrowing time reaching the village due to traffic snarls blocking the narrow road to the village. Till late on Wednesday night, many scrambled for ways and means to reach the village to get news of near and dear ones.

Ravi Talpe, president, Adivasi Sanghatna Federation, feared that he may have lost 35 close relatives. “My sister was married in that village 13 years back. But she had been staying in Pune and her husband had gone to Solapur…I don’t think there is any chance of survival in the huge mound of mud,” said Talpe, an activist.

His sister Jaishree Dhangat said, “I have been trying to get to the area since morning, but have not been successful. I am stuck in Dimbe dam area…” she said. Talpe said in some way or the other, all the villagers were related to him. “In the past, no such incident had ever happened in the village. This came suddenly and without warning. Most of the villagers were either farmers or farm hands,” he said.

Kailas Murmure was seen walking 20 km from the Dimbe dam to reach the village to get news of his sister and brother-in-law. “The police are not allowing any vehicles to pass beyond Dimbe dam and there is no other way but walk the distance. The remote village catches no mobile signals, so I have not been able to get any news,” he said. Murmure’s sister and brother-in-law were in Pune and had rushed to the spot after hearing the news. Another youth who was walking to the village said his 65-year-old aunt and her 25-year-old son stayed in the village.

“Last time I met them was about two months back. Since there is no connectivity in the village, I could not speak to them for two months,” he said. “From information I am getting from people who reached the site, I don’t think they will be alive,” he said.

The district administration apparently woke up late, as a huge crowd in an array of vehicles had already descended at the spot, leading to a 10-km traffic snarl. The ambulances found it difficult to cut through traffic and carry the injured to the nearest hospital in Machar, about 60 km away. Also, too many ambulances rushed to the site, but the district administration said they had not requisitioned all of them. “I think several of them from voluntary organisations rushed to the spot after hearing of the tragedy.”

Meanwhile, Tribal Welfare Minister Madhurkar Picchad said he would ask the authorities to take steps to evacuate the villages near hill tops or hill slopes.

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Located at 619 metres above mean sea level, the village is accessible only through a small hilly road. Due to the sudden influx of vehicles, including ambulances and police vehicles, the road was clogged, which led the district police to stop entry of vehicles at various points. Only vehicles carrying aid or rescue personnel or ministers were allowed. Many relatives were seen begging for rides to the village. As per the police, due to the traffic snarl, majority of vehicles were stuck 5 km outside the village.

Picchad said he would talk to the authorities to evacuate the villages on the hill top or hill slopes of the area.

“There are around four to five such villages and they have to be evacuated to prevent any such tragedy,” he said.

First to reach village, bus driver alerted others

After the landslide in Malin village, the first to reach it from outside was a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus driver. He reached the reached village around 8 in the morning on Wednesday. The driver, Rajendra Kale, reported the incident to his depot and later the local police and district administration were informed.

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The bus from the Narayangaon Depot of the MSRTC makes the trip from Manchar town to Ahupe village which is located in Bhimashankar wildlife sanctuary. The bus has a stop at Malin village.

According to local police, when the bus came to Malin village, Kale could see that the approach road to the village, between two hills was blocked by debris from the landslide.

The entire western side of the village could not be seen.

Kale first called the bus depot and told them about the calamity. By 9 am, the local police and district administration was informed about the incident.

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By then some villagers from neighbouring villages reached Malin for help. NDRF was informed around 10 am and by around 12 noon their teams had reached the spot.

Parthasarathi Biswas

Partha Sarathi Biwas is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express with 10+ years of experience in reporting on Agriculture, Commodities and Developmental issues. He has been with The Indian Express since 2011 and earlier worked with DNA. Partha's report about Farmers Producer Companies (FPC) as well long pieces on various agricultural issues have been cited by various academic publications including those published by the Government of India. He is often invited as a visiting faculty to various schools of journalism to talk about development journalism and rural reporting. In his spare time Partha trains for marathons and has participated in multiple marathons and half marathons. ... Read More

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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