33 dead after bus falls into gorge in Maharashtra

At least 33 people were killed after a bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge at Poladpur in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.

The Raigad Police have reached the spot and operations are underway to retrieve the bodies. One passenger, Prakash Sawant Desai, escaped the tragedy.

Initial reports stated that there were 35 to 40 people on board the ill-fated bus. The incident was reported at around 10.30 am. Local trekking groups have also been called in for the operation.

The passengers were staffers of Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Ratnagiri district, and were en route to the hill station of Mahabaleshwar in Satara district for the weekend.

"I climbed up and called the university and then the police station," said Desai, adding that the bus skidded off the road because of the mud.

More details are awaited.