Eight Tourists Die After Vehicle Plunges Into Deep Gorge in Maharashtra’s Raigad

New Delhi- At least eight tourists lost their lives after a vehicle travelling from the Konkan region to Satara plunged into a deep gorge in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on Monday, officials said. Rescue operations are still underway in the difficult hilly terrain.

According to officials, the tourist vehicle reportedly went out of control and fell nearly 1,000 feet into a valley in the Ambenali Ghat area. Rescue teams are facing major challenges due to the steep gorge and rough landscape.

So far, a few bodies have been recovered and sent for post-mortem examinations, while efforts continue to locate and retrieve the remaining victims.

Expressing grief over the tragedy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a post on X that the incident was “extremely heartbreaking” and paid tribute to those who died.

He said the group of eight friends was on a trip when their vehicle plunged around 1,500 feet into the valley, causing bodies to be scattered across different locations. He added that multiple rescue teams, including personnel from the district administration, police, voluntary groups and the NDRF, have been deployed to speed up recovery efforts.

Officials said one of the deceased belonged to Ratnagiri district, while the remaining victims were from Satara district. Police teams from both Raigad and Satara are coordinating the operation.

Rescue workers are using ropes and specialised equipment to reach the accident site, but the depth of the gorge and difficult terrain continue to hamper the mission. The identities of the victims are yet to be officially confirmed.

In another major road accident in Maharashtra on Monday, six people were killed and 26 others injured in a multi-vehicle collision on the Mumbai-Agra Highway in Dhule district.

Officials said the accident occurred near Laling Ghat after a dumper truck crashed into another truck. During the rescue operation, a speeding passenger bus travelling from Madhya Pradesh reportedly lost control and rammed into the damaged vehicles.

Among those killed in the second accident was a toll plaza employee who was helping rescue injured passengers. The injured were shifted to the District Hospital for treatment, while police launched an investigation into the incident. Traffic on the highway was disrupted for some time following the collision.

With inputs from IANS