Five people, including a three-year-old, were killed after a luxury bus fell into a gorge at Bhor Ghat near Khandala, around 90km from Mumbai. At least 40 others were hurt, with 15 of them suffering severe injuries.
The toll, police said, could have been higher had the trees in the 60-foot gorge not stopped the bus from slipping further down.
According to Khopoli police, the driver, Badrinath Gosavi, who is in his late twenties, lost control of the vehicle at a turning near Dasturi village on the old Pune-Mumbai highway.
“Based on how the bus swerved, it appears the driver was speeding,” said Dhanaji Kshirsagar, senior inspector at Khopoli police station.
The victims have been identified as Sarvodaya Thorat, 3, Pramila Mohite, 50, both from Karad; Janardhan Patil, 45, and his daughter, Sneha, 15, residents of Ghatkopar; and Sanjay Rakshe, 50, from Powai.
Police are waiting for the medical report to find out if Gosavi was drink driving.
The police will also record statements of the injured to ascertain the sequence of events.
{{/usCountry}}The police will also record statements of the injured to ascertain the sequence of events.
{{/usCountry}}The injured are being treated at Pawana Hospital and Lokmanya Hospital in Pune, Nagar Palika Hospital in Khopoli.
The police booked Gosavi for rash driving, causing death due to negligence and causing serious injuries. He will be arrested after being discharge from hospital, said Kshirsagar.