30 Maharashtra university employees on picnic die as bus falls into 500 ft gorge in Raigad

In a tragic incident, at least 30 people were killed after a bus carrying them skidded off a mountain stretch on the Mumbai-Goa highway on Saturday morning. The bus belonged to a Maharashtra agriculture university and was carrying 34 employees when it fell 500 ft down the mountain, the police said.

So far, eight bodies have been recovered from the accident site in Raigad district and the police and National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) teams were carrying out the search and rescue operation.

Raigad district police informed reporters that the employees of Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth were going towards Goa for a weekend picnic trip. The area of Raigad district where the accident took place had been receiving heavy downpour for past few days.

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Soon after the incident, Maharashtra minister Vinod Tawde tweeted that he had ordered local officials to rush to the spot and start rescue operations as soon as possible.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi also directed his party workers in the area to provide all the possible help to the injured and families the deceased persons.

“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,” Gandhi tweeted.

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Apart from Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind also expressed their deep sorrow over the loss of life.

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: tweets PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/hM6rUEVrxI

— ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2018