At least 40 tourists got stranded near Dudhsagar waterfall in South Goa after a small bridge on the Mandovi river got washed away due to a sudden rise in the water level following heavy rains, but were rescued by the lifeguards appointed by the state government, officials said on Saturday.
The incident occurred on Friday evening, when incessant rains pounded the state. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant lauded the lifeguards for the rescue operation.
"At least 40 tourists who were stranded near Dudhsagar waterfall after a small bridge on the Mandovi river got washed away due to a sudden rise in the water level as a result of heavy rains. The tourists got stranded on the waterfall side," a senior police official said.
The visitors could not cross the river through the gushing waters on their own in the absence of the bridge, he said, adding that the state-appointed lifeguards evacuated them.
The picturesque Dudhsagar waterfall, situated on the Goa-Karnataka border, attracts a large number of tourists. Visit to this waterfall was stopped at the start of the monsoon season, but it was opened for tourists earlier this week.
CM Sawant congratulated the lifesaving agency for rescuing the tourists.
In a tweet, he said, "The River Lifesavers rescued around 40 guests stuck at Dudhsagar waterfall due to turning of crossing bridge where water level increased due to heavy rainfall. I thank and congratulate the River lifesavers for rescuing the tourists."
(With PTI Inputs)
