India, June 30 -- A massive tourist influx on Sunday, June 29, forced forest officials to close entry to the popular Andharban forest trail by early afternoon, following overcrowding concerns and safety risks.

According to forest authorities, the past two days have seen an overwhelming turnout of nearly 5,000 to 6,000 visitors at the trek's entry point, far exceeding the trail's carrying capacity. Given the dense forest terrain and narrow pathways, officials said crowd control became increasingly challenging, triggering fears of potential accidents and damage to the fragile ecosystem.

The situation escalated rapidly on Sunday morning, with tourists beginning to gather as early as 9 am. By 11:30 am, the crowd near the ticket counter had ...