Heavy rains accompanied by strong gusty winds wreaked havoc across Sattari Taluka on Tuesday, causing widespread damage in several villages.
Massive trees were uprooted and fell on roads, houses, cattle sheds, vehicles and electricity lines, disrupting traffic and power supply in many areas.
The Valpoi Fire and Emergency Services received as many as 27 emergency calls between 7 am and 7 pm, as fire personnel remained on continuous duty throughout the day.
The worst-affected areas included Honda, Pissurle, Khadki, Advoi, Mhadei, Khotode, Kavaleshi, Velgem, Bhironde, Sonal, Dhave, Poriem, Deulwada, Uste, Nanus and Valpoi, where uprooted trees blocked roads and damaged public and private property.
The first emergency was reported near the Honda Primary School, where a huge tree collapsed across the road and onto electricity lines. Within minutes, more calls were received from Vagureshwar Temple, the Post Office area and Shantinagar in Pissurle, where trees had also fallen.
At Mhadei-Advoi, a large tree crashed onto the house of Anant Gavde, causing extensive structural damage. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. Another house near Big-S Garage in Khotode was also damaged after a tree fell on it.
The situation turned serious at Velgem, where a huge tree collapsed simultaneously on a cattle shed and live power lines. As electricity supply was still active, rescue operations had to be carried out with extreme caution. The Fire Services coordinated with the Electricity Department to disconnect power before removing the tree safely. A similar incident occurred at Gavkarwada in Honda, where a large forest tree fell on a cattle shed.
At Dongarwada-Advoi, trees fell on electricity lines near Shantadurga Temple and on the Sateri Temple–Talekhol road, leading to power disruptions. A massive tree also blocked the bridge at Sonal, interrupting vehicular movement.
Fallen trees were also reported near Bliss Farm in Bhironde, Khadki-Advoi Road, Bhumika High School in Poriem, Deulwada-Pissurle, Sateri Temple at Uste, and Shantinagar, temporarily halting traffic in these areas.
A jackfruit tree collapsed on the Tar-Sonal road, while a cashew tree fell near a dairy farm in Dhangarwada on the Dhave road, forcing authorities to stop traffic until the road was cleared. Firefighters reached each location within minutes and reopened the affected roads after removing the obstructions.
Near the IRB Camp in Valpoi, a jamun tree fell on a parked vehicle, causing damage. At Bhumika High School in Poriem, one large tree collapsed onto another, creating an extremely dangerous situation that required immediate intervention.
In another rescue operation, a cow became trapped in a roadside drain at Shantinagar, Pissurle. Upon receiving the call, Fire and Emergency Services personnel rushed to the spot and successfully rescued the animal using ropes and specialized rescue equipment.
