THIRTEEN persons, including five minors, were killed and 29 injured after a bus carrying young male and female members of a traditional ‘DholTasha-Zaanj’ music troupe fell into a gorge on the old Mumbai-Pune highway in Raigad district of Maharashtra in the early hours of Saturday, police said. The private bus with 42 persons on board was going from Pune to Mumbai when it plunged into the 300- feet deep gorge in the Bor Ghat mountain pass section, better known as Khandala Ghat, between 4.15 and 4.30 am, said a senior police official. The accident took place near Khopoli, 70 km from Mumbai. The deceased included a 12- year-old boy. Among injured, at least six are minors. Most of the music troupe members were in their twenties or teens. The group, which played traditional instruments of Dhol, Tasha and Zaanj, was returning to Mumbai after taking part in an event in Pimpri Chinchwad township near Pune city

Expressing grief over the incident,Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced an ex-gratia assistance of Rs five lakh to the kin of each deceased. Union Home Minister Amit Shahexpressedgriefoverthe accident. He also spoke to CM Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modiand President Droupadi Murmu also expressed grief overthe tragedy. “Pained by the mishap in Raigad, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with those who have lost their loved ones,” thePMOquotedModiassaying in a tweet. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fundwillbegiventothenext of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 will be given to the injured, the @PMO India quoted Modi as stating in another tweet. “The bus was carrying 42 membersof‘BajiPrabhuZanj Pathak’ based in Mumbai’s Goregaon.Theywerereturning to Goregaon after taking part in an event in Pimpri ChinchwadareainPunedistrict.The bus, which had left the venue around 1 am on Saturday, fell into the gorge on the highway near Shingroba temple after its driverlostcontrol,”thepolice official said, adding that 13 ofthem died in the incident, which left 29 others injured. Thedeceasedincludedthe bus driver, Hariratan Yadav (40). On learning about the incident, a team of the local police, volunteers of Yashwanti Hikers from Khopoliandsomepersonnel ofIRBcompanyrushedtothe spot and launched a rescue operation, the police said.

 

The injured were admitted to three hospitals -- the Mahatma Gandhi Mission (MGM)HospitalatKamothe in Navi Mumbai, a governmenthospitalinKhopoliand a private facility there, officials said.The deceased and the injured were from Goregaon and Sion in Mumbai and Virar in neighbouring Palghar district, Raigad Superintendent of Police (SP) Somnath Gharge said. In a tweet in Hindi, Union minister Shah said, “TheroadaccidentinRaigad, Maharashtra is very sad. Talked to Chief Minister @mieknathshinde and Deputy Chief Minister @Dev_Fadnavis in this regard. The local administration is engaged in relief work. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery.” CM Shinde visited the MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai to enquire about the health of the injured. He also visited theaccidentsitelater.“Ofthe injured persons, the condition of five is critical. I have instructedthedoctorstoprovide the best possible treatment to save their lives,” he said. Deepak Sawant, who lost his 18-year-old daughter Jui in the accident, said he had spoken to her when she reached Pune for the event. “While leaving for Pune, Juitoldmeshe will call mewhenshereachesthecity, which she did. That was my last conversation with my daughter,” saidadistraught Sawant, who is employed as a security guard. Jui had just appeared for her Class 11 examination, he said.