Pune Woman Dies of Cardiac Arrest During Visit to Ajanta Caves
Pune, 24th November 2025: A 43-year-old tourist from Pune died after suffering a cardiac arrest during her visit to the historic Ajanta Caves in Chhatrapati Smabhajinagar (Aurangabad) district on Saturday, police said.
The woman, identified as Yogita Mahesh Sawant, collapsed shortly after climbing the steps leading to Cave No. 1 while touring the site with her family in the afternoon.
An officer from the Fardapur police station said Sawant was immediately taken to the primary rural hospital and trauma care centre in Ajanta. She reached the facility around 1.50pm in a critical state, medical staff said.
Dr Giridhar Bondale, the medical officer who attended to her, said the team attempted all possible emergency measures.
“We performed CPR and other resuscitation procedures as soon as she arrived,” Dr Bondale said. “But she was not responding. We advised that she be shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for advanced care. Unfortunately, she passed away while being transported.”
According to Dr Bondale, Sawant’s relatives told doctors she did not suffer from conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or any known cardiac ailment.
“She did not have a history of heart disease. However, she was slightly overweight, and the physical exertion of climbing the steps may have triggered a sudden cardiac arrest,” he explained.
Dr Bondale added that the incident highlights the need for improved emergency medical access near the UNESCO heritage site.
“The trauma centre is nearly 10 kilometres from the caves. A fully equipped government health unit in the immediate vicinity would help manage such emergencies more effectively,” he said.
