M'rashtra bus accident: lone survivor recalls tragedy

For Prakash Sawant Desai, the lone survivor of the Poladpur bus tragedy, it was a close shave.

"I was shocked," said Sawant-Desai, who works as an assistant superintendent with the Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth at Dapoli in Ratnagiri district.

"It was all fine...we started in the morning, people were enjoying, the tyre went over the mud and it skidded," he said, adding that the bus came crashing down.

"I somehow came out and saw some picnickers," a calm and composed Sawant-Desai said, adding that once he saw people, he took help and used their cellphone.

"I called up the university and told colleagues and then the police," he said, adding the police and rescuers reached soon. He climbed up the ravine with whatever means possible and help.

"We never thought that sometimes like this could happen," he added.

Lucky escape

Pravin Randive, one among Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth's staffers, dropped out of the weekend picnic to Mahabaleshwar at the last moment.

"I was not feeling well, my health was down... and this morning (Saturday) I told others that I would not be able to make it," said Randive.

"After they left, they were posting photos on WhatsApp. I was also responding to the messages," an emotional Pravin said.

"Till around 10 am, people were posting photos on the WhatsApp group, then it went dead, " he said, adding that around 12.30 pm he came to know of the accident.

"I am shocked... I still cannot believe this," he said.