In the last seven years, 38 people have died in the hills of Matheran — a favourite weekend destination for travellers. Apart from human casualties, several horses die unnatural death in the hilly area.
However, till now, the local police has registered only four such cases.
According to the police’s reply to an RTI application, between 2005 and 2011, 38 people have died due to both natural and unnatural causes. Sixteen such persons have died by
either jumping off the
cliffs, wells or consuming poison.
There are even cases wherein people have died after they lost their balance and fell into ravines.
According to the report, 24 persons have died after accidentally falling from top and altitude related illnesses.
Out of the 38 deceased, majority are tourists and not the locals.
And as far as the deaths of horses, RTI activist, Anil Galgali said, “In the police records only four deaths of horses have been reported and that too due to electric shock from the loose
live wires on the trails.
Not all deaths of horses
due to unnatural reasons were reported to the police.”
According to a local, there are frequent cases of horses going berserk and eventually taking a leap into the valley from the tourist spots.
However, the horse owners do not report it to any of the authorities, be it police or civic body, as they do not want to get into trouble.