33 killed as bus carrying tourists falls into gorge in Raigad in Maharashtra

Thirty three people were killed when a bus carrying 34 people to Mahabaleshwar on a picnic fell into a deep gorge off Ambenali Ghat in Raigad district on Saturday. Raigard collector Vijay Suryawanshi confirmed the death toll. Only one person, Prakash Sawant Desai, survived as he jumped out of the bus, said police inspector Balkrushna Jadhav of Raigad police. The accident took place near Poladpur, around 200 km from Mumbai, according to state highway traffic officials. Police said the passengers were from Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, an agricultural university at Dapoli in Ratnagiri district, and were going on a picnic to Mahabaleshawar.As they were crossing a sharp turn at Poladpur around 11.30 am, the driver lost control and the bus fell into the gorge. Local rescuers, policemen from Poladpur station have rushed to the spot for rescue operations. A National Disaster Response Force team from Pune has been called in. “Victims were employees of Agricultural University, going on a picnic. We will provide help to the kin of the deceased, but will also take steps to ensure such incidents don’t take place in the future,” said Maharasthra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, according to news agency ANI. The Maharashtra government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of those who died. The government will also bear the medical expenses of those injured, reported ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief at the death and offered condolences to the kin of the deceased. Congress president Rahul Gandhi also expressed pain over the incident and asked party workers in the area to “provide all possible assistance to the injured and families of those who have died”. Source: Hindustan Times