Palghar, June 24: Videos showing huge crowd of tourists and trekkers at the Asheri Fort in Palghar district of Maharashtra have surfaced, prompting authorities to ban entry of visitors at forts, beaches and public places. The incident of overcrowding at the Asheri Fort amid the coronavirus pandemic took place over the last weekend on June 19 and 20. After videos went viral, police booked over 250 tourists for violating the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Maharashtra: Hall Sealed, Fined in Palghar for COVID-19 Norm Violations.

Between June 14 and 20, Palghar district was on level 2 and tourist places had reopened for visitors with certain restrictions. On June 19 and 20 (Saturday and Sunday) a large number of tourists and trekkers arrived at the Asheri Fort located on the hills near Mendhavan Khind on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway. Soon, videos of the massive crowd went viral on the internet. Videos showed very few had mask on their faces and social distancing had gone for a toss. Prohibitory Orders in Some Thane, Palghar Spots for Monsoon.

Asheri Fort in Palghar Sees Overcrowding of Tourists and Trekkers:

According to a report, police reached the base point in the Khodkona village and fined people for flouting COVID-19 rules. Cops booked over 250 people under the Disaster Management Act and collected over Rs 40,000 as fine from violators. The Asheri Fort is a popular tourist destination for trekkers in monsoon. Trekkers have to walk through dense but safe forest for about an hour to reach the fort.

After the incident of overcrowding, Palghar district was downgraded to level 3 from June 21. The authorities have now banned entry of tourists at forts, beaches and other public places.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 24, 2021 12:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).