Maharashtra monsoon landslides close Pune‑Mumbai Expressway and rail line

Heavy monsoon rains across Maharashtra broke records, with Lonavala recording 670 mm of rain in 24 hours. The downpour triggered a landslide on the Missing Link section of the Pune‑Mumbai Expressway near the Khandala exit, dropping 60‑ton rocks onto the tunnel entrance. The Mumbai‑bound lane was shut and traffic was diverted until safety crews cleared the debris and restored movement.

Simultaneous landslides on the Karjat‑Lonavala and Bhor Ghat sections of the Mumbai‑Pune rail corridor caused extensive damage to tracks. More than 100 passenger trains were cancelled, diverted or short‑terminated, and suburban services faced delays. Rail officials deployed hundreds of workers and engineering teams to restore the line.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) launched rescue operations after a hillside collapse in Patan village buried a house, recovering one body and searching for two missing family members. Another NDRF team rescued 37 bus passengers stranded by water‑logging near Ghorawadi station. The state government issued red alerts for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Pune, ordered schools closed, advised work‑from‑home, and placed the Western Naval Command on high alert. Thirteen deaths were reported from landslides, building collapses and flooding in Mumbai, Palghar and Raigad districts.