Pune: Bee Attack at Sinhgad Fort Injures Tourists, Entry Temporarily Closed

Donje, 9th March 2026: Several tourists were injured after a swarm of bees attacked visitors at Sinhgad Fort on Sunday afternoon. The incident reportedly occurred after some tourists allegedly threw stones from the fort’s ramparts, disturbing nearby beehives and triggering panic at the popular tourist destination.

According to officials, the incident took place around 3.30 pm on March 8 when a group of young tourists began throwing stones from the fortification wall, reportedly as part of a competition. Some of the stones struck beehives in the surrounding area, agitating the bees and leading to a sudden attack on people present on the fort.

Around five to six tourists sustained injuries in the incident, including a one-and-a-half-year-old child. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

The injured have been identified as Yuvansh Rishikesh Sonar (1.5), his father Rishikesh Sonar, mother Nidhi Rishikesh Sonar, Kavita Prasad Sonar and Ansh Prasad Sonar. All of them suffered bee stings and were safely brought down from the fort before being admitted to a private hospital for treatment.

Another tourist, Nandkumar Shidu Gharghe (64), a resident of Bhosari, was seriously injured in the attack. He was initially treated at the Primary Health Centre in Khanapur and later shifted to a private hospital in Khadakwasla for further treatment.

The sudden bee attack created panic among tourists at the fort for some time. After receiving information about the incident, officials and staff from the forest department, along with security guards of the Joint Forest Management Committee, rushed to the spot. The Haveli disaster management team also reached the fort and arranged for an ambulance.
Members of the disaster management team and forest committee assisted in safely bringing the injured tourists down from the fort.

Meanwhile, local guards appointed by the Archaeological Department under Chandrarang Charitable Trust (Pimple Gurav) — including Sumit Ranjane, Datta Jorkar, Swapnil Sambre and Rahul Jorkar — along with Harshad Gaikwad, Deepak Jorkar and Shrikant Langhi from Indrani Balan Foundation, attempted to disperse the bees by creating smoke at different locations. Their efforts helped bring the situation under control.

As a precautionary measure, the forest department temporarily closed entry to Sinhgad Fort for tourists. Toll points at Golewadi and Kondhanpur Phata in the ghat section were also shut for a brief period.

After the bee activity subsided, authorities gradually evacuated tourists from the fort and normal movement was later restored.