13 killed as bus falls into 200ft gorge on old Mumbai-Pune highway

Police officials and rescue workers inspect the wreckage of the bus that fell into the gorge. Pics/PTI

Thirteen people, including four minors, were killed and 29 injured, after a private bus fell into a 200-feet-deep gorge near Khopoli, Raigad during the early hours of Saturday. The bus, hired by a Goregaon-based band Bajiprabhu Dhol Tasha Pathak, was returning from a performance in Pune.

According to the police, the incident occurred at around 4 am, when the bus was taking a sharp turn. A hikers' group rushed to help the victims and saved many lives. The Khopoli Police are in the process of registering the statements of the occupants of the bus.

The Bajiprabhu Dhol Tasha Pathak had been invited to perform at an event commemorating Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's birth anniversary, and had departed from Mumbai for Pune on Friday morning. After participating in the programme, the team boarded a private bus for Mumbai on Friday night.

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Bus took unsafe route

One of the band members, Omkar Jitendra Pawar, wanted to get down at Khopoli, due to which the bus took a route on the Old Mumbai Pune Highway. According to the police, heavy vehicles driving from Lonavla towards Khopoli have been prohibited at Anda Point.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde meets injured at MGM Hospital, Kamothe, in Raigad on Saturday

The road where the crash occurred is a one-way route with sharp turns. It doesn't have a security wall. The Highway Police has written to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and IRB Company, which maintains the highway, to install barricades at the site. "Eight reminders have been sent between 2021 and 2023, but nothing has come of it yet," a Highway Police source said.

"We are still investigating whether the driver lost control of the wheel due to the sharp turn or dozed off. At the time of the incident, almost all the passengers were asleep," the official added.

The bus fell into the ghat just behind the Shingroba temple. After the accident, some of the injured persons came out and asked for help from passing vehicles. Villagers nearby were alerted, who also informed Shivdurga Mitra, Lonavala, a group of trekkers involved in rescue operations. The trekkers helped pull out most of the injured.

Sunil Gaikwad, secretary of Shivdurga Mitra, Lonavala, said that he along with 50 others from his team reached the spot around 4.30 am on Saturday. "We set the ropes and started descending from the cliff. As we got nearer, we could hear cries for help. When we reached, we found several people bleeding. The boys who sustained minor injuries were kept back and the severely injured were rushed ahead," he said. The rescue operation took seven hours to complete.

Eighteen persons were transferred to MGM Hospital, Kalamboli, 10 were taken to Khopoli Nagarpalika Hospital and one person was taken to Jakhotia Hospital, Khopoli for treatment. Thirteen succumbed to their injuries, including the driver, Mahesh Pujari, 35. Most of the deceased were between the age group of 12 and 26.

‘Driver was told to slow down'

According to the statements of the injured, the driver had been driving rashly throughout the journey. The passengers had requested him to drive slowly.

When contacted, Somnath Gharge, Superintendent of Police, Raigad, said, "The impact of the accident was such that only the frame of the bus remained. We are in the process of registering the statements of the injured. Most of them are still in a state of shock."

The Khopoli Police has filed an FIR against the driver, Mahesh Pujari. He has been booked under IPC Sections 304A (death due to negligence), 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and relevant sections of the MV Act.