Pune: Hyderabad Tourist Missing After Falling Into Valley Near Sinhagad Fort Cliff
Pune, 21st August 2025: A 24-year-old tourist from Hyderabad has gone missing after reportedly slipping into a deep gorge near Tanaji Cliff at Sinhagad Fort on Wednesday evening. The youth has been identified as Gautam Gaikwad, who was visiting Pune with five friends.
According to police, the group reached Sinhagad around 4.30 pm to enjoy the monsoon view. Later, they moved towards the Tanaji Cliff area, a popular but risky point. “Gautam told his friends he was going to step aside for a while, but he never came back,” an officer from Haveli police station said. His friends searched for him and eventually found his slippers near Hawa Point, close to the cliff’s edge, raising fears that he may have fallen into the valley.
The gorge in the area is nearly a thousand feet deep. Officials believe heavy rain, slippery ground and strong winds could have led to the accident. “The visibility was very poor in the evening. His friends feel he might have lost his balance,” the officer added.
Soon after being alerted, police teams, disaster management personnel and local trekking volunteers began a search. Despite challenging weather conditions, teams descended into the valley but had to stop around 11 pm due to darkness. The search was resumed at 6 am on Thursday and continued through the day.
Local volunteers assisting in the search said such incidents highlight the dangers of venturing too close to cliff edges during the rainy season. “Every monsoon, people come here for the mist and the view, but the rocks get extremely slippery. Visitors don’t realise how risky it can be,” said a trekking volunteer.
Sinhagad Fort, one of Pune’s most popular weekend spots, attracts thousands of tourists in the monsoon. However, the incident has renewed concerns over the need for better safety measures around dangerous cliff points.
