Thane: Five kids rescued from Mumbra hill in late-night rescue op

NDRF, Thane Disaster Response Force, and Mumbra fire brigade with the rescued children

Five children were rescued from a 300-feet hill in Mumbra Saturday early morning after they were trapped atop due to darkness. They had ventured into the hills on Friday evening to catch crabs. The incident occurred on the humps near Khadi machine dam road. The Mumbra fire department received a distress call around 8.30 pm on Friday. A joint rescue operation was launched by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Thane Disaster Response Force, and Mumbra fire brigade, which was completed by 4 am on Saturday.

A local activist from Mumbra said as the night fell, the children realised they were trapped and they started screaming for help. "It was after 6.30 pm when some locals, who went to play near the area, heard the kids scream. They were asking for help and claimed that they were eight to 12 years old. The locals then informed the police and other locals, after which the fire brigade reached the spot," added the activist.

Ganesh Khetade, station officer from Mumbra fire brigade, said, "We found out that one of the boys got stuck at a spot which was deep and slippery. So, we sought Thane Disaster Response Force's help. The disaster management team told us that the rescue operation was not easy as the route uphill was slippery and dark." Then the fire brigade reached out to the NDRF, Khetade added.

"Reaching them was not easy due to the rains and the slippery terrain, which was almost like a valley. We formed three teams and approached the spot from three sides, and eventually rescued them. The operation was a challenging one, as the teams had to navigate steep slopes and rugged terrain." It took around eight to 10 hours to rescue the children, Khetade said. The police ensured that the children received necessary medical attention and were taken to a nearby government hospital for check-up.

The kids were identified as Asahdul Shaikh, 12; Mohammad Pintu Shaikh, 11; Munna Shaikh, 9; Ishaan Shaikh, 10; and Ameer Shaikh, 11 - all five were residents of Dargah Gali in Amrut Nagar in Mumbra, and Kausa. "The kids got stuck as they forgot the way back. The information about this was also given to mountaineer Yogesh Sadre, who also rushed to the spot. All the teams made joint efforts and rescued the children safely and handed them over to the police," said a police officer.

Disaster management cell said the police have sent the kids back to their families. Local politicians and social workers have flagged concerns about safety at the dam on the hills, where many people go for leisure activities. Local residents further claimed that around eight to 10 people have died in the area.