A bus, on its way to a hill station, fell into a gorge in Raigad district of Maharashtra this afternoon killing 33 passengers, senior officials said.
The bus was carrying 34 staff members of an agriculture university in the Konkan region. It fell into a 500-feet deep gorge at Ambenali Ghat near Poladpur town, around 180 km from Mumbai, district collector Vijay Suryawanshi told PTI. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the victims were employees of Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth.
Thirty-three passengers died in the accident which took place at around 12.30 pm, he said.
SP Anil Paraskar said the passengers were on their way to Mahabaleshwar, a hill station in Satara district, for a picnic, when the driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a turn and fell into the gorge.
Advertisement
A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been called to the spot to take 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.
The Maharashtra government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of those who died in accident. The state government will also bear the medical expenses of those injured.
"We'll provide help to kin of the deceased, but will also take steps to ensure such incidents don't take place in the future," the chief minister said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed his condolences to the families of those killed in the accident.
Advertisement
"Pained by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Maharashtra's Raigad district. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones," the PMO tweeted quoting Modi.
Expressing grief over the death, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also expressed sorrow over the accident.
Gandhi tweeted, "I'm sorry to hear about the terrible bus accident in Raigad, Maharashtra in which a large number of people have been killed and many others injured. I appeal to Congress party workers in the area to provide all possible assistance to the injured & families of those who have died."
State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said, "Extremely sad to hear about the accident of a bus near Poladprur in Raigad district carrying 33 employees of Konkan Agriculture University. My heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this horrifying accident."
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde said the accident was very unfortunate.
"I pay my homage to those who perished," he said.
(Agencies)
