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6 pilgrims killed, 44 hurt as bus falls into gorge at Palaghar
After visiting Mahalaxmi temple in Dahanu, the group was to return to Surat, police officers said. The route between Nashik and Palghar has four dangerous ghats at Trimbakeshwar, Mokhada, Jawhar and Vikramgadh and has serpentine turns along the highway.
A private luxury bus with pilgrims, on its way back to Mumbai from Shirdi, plunged 25 feet into a gorge in Palghar district, killing six and injuring 44. Police said brake failure in the bus may have led to the tragedy.
The pilgrims, who are from Surat, were returning from Shirdi around 2.45pm on Sunday and were headed to the Mahalaxmi temple in Dahanu when the tragedy occurred. At the time of going to press, the Mokhada police and the Disaster Management Response Force (DMRF) were retrieving the mangled remains of the bus from the spot.
“A brake failure in the bus may have led to the mishap, but we are investigating further, and will register a case as soon as the bus is removed from the spot,” said police inspector (PI) Sanjay Ambre of Mokhada police station. The death toll may go up, he added. The dead include two men and three women, and are yet to be identified, said Ambre. The injured are being treated at government hospitals in Nashik district.Some of the passengers are in serious condition, Ambre said.
After visiting Mahalaxmi temple in Dahanu, the group was to return to Surat, police officers said. The route between Nashik and Palghar has four dangerous ghats at Trimbakeshwar, Mokhada, Jawhar and Vikramgadh and has serpentine turns along the highway.
