In a tragic incident, a bus carrying 35 passengers, students and staff from an agriculture university, plunged into a deep valley in Maharashtra’s Ambenali ghaat section in Mahabaleshwar. 33 passengers are reported to have died with there being only two survivors.
Photo: Mumbai MirrorAll the passengers were from Dapoli Agriculture University and they were on their way to picnic. They had reportedly posed for a group photo before setting off. The photo, tweeted by Mumbai Mirror, has now gone viral.
Civil administrator Vijay Suryawanshi said that the bus fell into a deep, forested gorge adding that one man survived as he jumped out of the bus and later scaled onto the road to inform university officials about the accident.
Rescue teams had so far recovered nearly a dozen bodies amid intermittent rains in the area, reported AP news agency.
#NewsAlert: A private bus plunged into a valley near Ambenali ghaat section in Mahabaleshwar; 33 dead, 1 survived. Bus was carrying 35 people including students and staff of Dapoli Agriculture University. pic.twitter.com/PZpOB0YdEt
— Mumbai Mirror (@MumbaiMirror) July 28, 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “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.”
Photo tweeted by Mumbai MirrorCongress President Rahul 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.”
More than 110,000 people are killed annually in India in road accidents. Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and aging vehicles. India has an appalling track record of driver training with people obtaining driving licences without going through any proper theory or practical training.