India, Sept. 18 -- A tree in the middle of a gorge made the difference between life and death for a truck driver who remained trapped inside his vehicle after it plunged down a 250-foot-deep gorge along the Pune-Kolad route on Wednesday evening.

The goods container was left suspended against the tree, preventing it from sliding towards a further 500-foot-deep gorge, according to the rescue team. The driver was eventually pulled out after a challenging five-hour operation involving rescuers, a crane service and the police.

The accident occurred around 6.15 pm near Shankar Temple, between Pahur Phata and Valanjwadi village, within the limits of Valanjwadi village. The trailer was travelling from Sutarwadi towards Kolad when its brakes all...