5 dead, 40 hurt in bus accident on Mumbai-Pune highway

Mumbai: At least five people were killed and 40 others injured when a private bus fell into a gorge alongside the old Mumbai-Pune highway on Monday morning.

The mishap occurred around 5 am near the Amrutanjan bridge tunnel when the driver of the luxury bus, carrying around 47 passengers — headed from Karad in Satara to Mumbai lost control while navigating the winding Bhor ghat.

The bus careened off the road and plunged into the ravine.  At least five people, including two women and a child died while over 20 others were seriously injured out of the total 40 passengers.

The deceased have been identified as Pramila Mohite (50), a resident of Belavale in Kolhapur district; Sneha Patil (15) and her father Janardhan Patil (50), both residents of Ghatkopar in Mumbai; Sanjay Rakshe (50), a resident of Powai; and Sarvadnya Thorat (3), a resident of Karad in Satara.

The passengers were on their way to Mumbai from Karad, said senior inspector Dhanaji Kshirsagar of Khopoli police station. He said that the Bhor ghat’s treacherous turns have caused several accidents in the past as well.

The injured persons — who were rescued by the police authorities, villagers and members from social outfits — were rushed to the trust-run MGM Hospital near Kamothe, Pawana Hospital near Somatane Phata, and Lokmanya Hospital in Nighdi among others.