33 dead as Maharashtra bus falls into gorge

​Pune: At least 33 people were killed and several injured after a bus fell into a 500-feet deep gorge near Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Saturday. 

The bus rolled down a hill road in Ambenali Ghat, near Poladpur town. A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been sent to the spot to pull out the bodies from the ill-fated bus. A dozen ambulances and 15 doctors have also reached the spot, Additional SP Sanjay Patil said. 

Only one of the 34 passengers traveling in the bus survived as he jumped from the bus while it was sliding along the steep slope of the gorge. The passengers in the bus, all employees of Dapoli Agriculture University in Ratnagiri district, were on their way to Mahabaleshwar for a two-day trip. 

The incident came to light after the lone survivor, Prakash Sawant Desai, assistant superintendent with the university, who managed to jump out of the bus, climbed up the slope, took the phone of a passerby and made calls to another staff member from university and the police.

Desai has told the local authorities that the driver of the bus lost control as a tyre of the bus skidded at a muddy spot on the Ambenali Ghat road. The bus fell till 500 feet down in the 800 feet deep gorge. The bus skidded off the road near Ambenali ghat before falling into a deep gorge.

After local police were informed by Desai, local administration and team from nearby police stations swung into action. Members of local trekkers’ groups and medical aid team were also called in.

The police said, “Till 4 pm, 25 dead bodies were taken out. As per primary information, 33 passengers in the bus are feared dead.” A team of the National Disaster Response Force, station at Talegaon near Pune was sent to the spot for the search operation.

Local police have informed the authorities from the Dapoli Agriculture University, who in turn have informed the family members of the victims. The police have come to know that more than 40 persons were be part of the trip, but the number was reduced due to the capacity of bus.

Taking to Twitter, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “Pained to know about the loss of lives in the Mahabaleshwar bus accident.