Reported by Vijay Singh in Timesofindia.indiatimes.com on Jul 18, 2012
Matheran is a tourist 'death spot', reveals RTI - The Times of India

MUMBAI: A Right To Information (RTI) query has revealed that a total of 38 tourists have been killed in fatal accidents at picturesque hill station of Matheran in Raigad district.

RTI activist Anil Galgali informed that only tourists have become victims and none of the locals were involved in such accidents.

"These 38 deaths of tourists have taken place in 32 cases since 2005 in Matheran," said Galgali.

Surprisingly, deaths of four horses have also been registere by the Matheran police in the last seven years; though the figure could be higher for horses, since not all horse owners register such fatal accidents with the police.

"Matheran is a favourite tourist destination. So it is unnerving to know that so many tourist deaths have taken place in unnatural accidents at this hill station; such as people falling off the cliffs not all of these being suicides," added Galgali.

Of these, 16 people have died by falling or jumping off the cliffs. In the year 2010, the death toll was highest at 11. The death toll was eight each in both 2007 and 2008. In 2011 there was only one death of a tourist.