Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, May 25: At least eight people lost their lives after a tourist vehicle travelling from the Konkan region towards Satara met with a devastating accident in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, officials said on Monday.
According to authorities, the vehicle reportedly lost control while passing through the hilly Ambenali Ghat section and plunged into a deep gorge estimated to be nearly 1,000 to 1,500 feet below the roadway.
Rescue operations are currently underway, with emergency teams facing major challenges due to the difficult terrain, steep valley and scattered debris at the accident site.
Officials said rescue personnel have so far recovered several bodies from different locations in the gorge, while efforts continue to locate and retrieve the remaining victims. The recovered bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the tragedy and paid tribute to those who died in the accident. He said the victims were a group of friends travelling together when their vehicle fell into the valley.
The Chief Minister stated that multiple rescue teams have been deployed, with each unit consisting of trained personnel working continuously to retrieve the victims. Assistance from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and volunteer rescue groups is also being taken to speed up the operation.
According to officials, one of the deceased belonged to Ratnagiri district, while the remaining victims were reportedly from Satara district. Police teams from both Raigad and Satara are coordinating the rescue and identification process.
Authorities said specialised rescue equipment and ropes are being used to access the gorge, as the terrain has made operations extremely difficult.
Meanwhile, another serious road accident was reported earlier in the day from Maharashtra’s Dhule district, where six people were killed and 26 others injured in a multi-vehicle collision on the Mumbai-Agra Highway.
Officials said the accident occurred near Laling Ghat after a dumper truck collided with another heavy vehicle. During rescue efforts, a speeding passenger bus travelling from Madhya Pradesh allegedly lost control and crashed into the damaged vehicles and people present at the scene.
Among those killed was a toll plaza employee who had been helping rescue the injured. All injured persons were shifted to a district hospital for treatment, while police launched an investigation into the incident.
Traffic movement on the highway was disrupted for some time following the collision.