Maharastra: A total of twenty-seven bodies have been recovered so far after a bus fell into a 500-feet deep gorge, killing more than 30 people in Ambenali Ghat of Raigad district on Saturday.
A team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed to help in the rescue operations.
“Search operation will continue as we have spotted few more bodies. We need to check if there are bodies underneath the bus,” NDRF, Deputy Commandant, Vairavanathan told ANI.
#Maharashtra: 25 bodies have been recovered till now: NDRF on the bus accident that killed more than 30 people after it fell in a gorge in Raigad’s Ambenali Ghat, yesterday
— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2018
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also announced some ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the family of the deceased.
Expressing his grief, PM Modi offered his condolences to the families of the dead. ‘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,’ PMO 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: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 28, 2018
Congress President Rahul Gandhi also took to Twitter to share his condolences and urged the Congress workers in the area to provide all possible assistance to the injured & families of those who have died.
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.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 28, 2018
Giving out further details of the accident, Raigad guardian minister Ravindra Chavan had earlier said that bus fell down into gorge due to the driver’s fault and only one passenger survived the accident.
“Bus fell in a 500-feet gorge due to the fault of the driver. Only one passenger has survived. We are trying to recover the bodies,” Chavan had said.
The passengers were on their way to Mahabaleshwar for a picnic trip when the driver lost control over the vehicle while negotiating a turn and fell into the gorge.
(With inputs from ANI)