Thane: A tragic incident took place in Thane on Sunday evening when a 28-year-old firefighter lost his life and another sustained serious burn injuries while attempting to rescue a pigeon trapped inside an electric box on Diva-Sheel Road.

The deceased has been identified as fireman Utsab Patil (28), while his colleague Azad Patil (29) suffered severe injuries and is currently under treatment at a local civic hospital. The incident occurred around 5 pm and was reported by the disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC).

According to civic officials, the operation was launched after residents reported a pigeon trapped in a high-tension overhead cable box. The bird was stuck at a dangerous position and officials feared that leaving it there could not only lead to its death but also potentially trigger a short circuit or transformer-like blast due to the live electrical connection.

During the rescue, one of the firefighters accidentally came in contact with a high-voltage live wire. The current caused a sudden fire, electrocuting Utsab on the spot and severely burning Azad, who was assisting him. Fellow firefighters quickly pulled them away from the danger zone and rushed them to a nearby civic hospital. Doctors declared Utsab dead on arrival, while Azad remains in critical condition with burn injuries to his hands and chest.

A spokesperson from the TMC described the incident as deeply unfortunate. “ The pigeon got entangled in an overhead cable wire. Unfortunately, one fireman lost his life during the rescue operation and another is battling severe injuries,” the official said.

Authorities have launched an internal inquiry to determine whether the standard safety protocols and protective gear were adequately used during the operation. The Thane Municipal Corporation is expected to release a detailed report after the inquiry.

The Mira-Bhayanda Vasai Virar Police has issued an official notification regarding the ban of heavy and oversized vehicles on the Gaymukh Ghat section of the Ghodbunder Road till October 14 due to the repair works. According to the official notification, the ban will remain effect till 12 am on October 14.

“The work of geometric improvement and asphalting on the Thane-Ghodbunder State Highway (No. 42) in the Gaymukh Ghat section will be carried out by the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation,” the police said in its post on X.

The stretch between the Ghodbunder–Gaymukh Ghat section has been affected by deep potholes and also has major traffic concerns. The chronic traffic issues have long plagued daily commuters travelling between Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai, Virar, and Thane.

Coming back to the official notification, alternative routes (Diversion Routes) have been planned to ensure smooth traffic flow. Notably, the notification also clarified that the light vehicles and vehicles providing essential services are permitted to travel on the route.

For vehicles coming from Palghar–Virar side: Shirsat Phata → Parol → Akololi (Ganeshpuri) → travel via Ambadi.

For vehicles coming from Palghar–Vasai side: Chinchoti → Kaman → Kharbav → Anjur Phata → travel via Bhiwandi.

Vehicles coming from Western Expressway (Mumbai / Kashimira): Versova Bridge → Gujarat Highway → travel via Shirsat Phata / Chinchoti.

Heavy and oversized vehicles coming from Thane / Mumbai: Entry will be restricted at Y Junction / Kapurbawdi and they can take Kharegaon Toll Plaza → Mankoli → travel via Anjur Phata.

On October 12 frustrated commuters took an extraordinary act of protest by playing garba in the middle of the road. This came after an accident involving a container truck near Gaimukh brought traffic to a standstill, leaving thousands of people stranded for hours.

Mumbai: The Sahar police have registered an FIR against manpower agent Vinayak Koli for allegedly providing a fake appointment letter to a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, 56, in an attempt to send him to Dubai.

Yadav, who retired in 2008 and previously worked as a seaman, had connected with Koli in 2021 while they were both working for the same company in Nigeria. In August 2025, while seeking a new job, Yadav responded to a WhatsApp job advertisement for an Electro Technical Officer. He discovered one of the contact numbers belonged to Koli, who then assured Yadav of an overseas position with Prayati Shipping Company.

Koli collected Yadav’s documents and, on October 9, provided him with an offer letter, an invitation, and a flight ticket from Mumbai to Dubai for the following day. However, on October 10, when Yadav presented the documents at Mumbai International Airport, immigration officers grew suspicious. An inquiry confirmed the offer letter was fraudulent.