By Disha Gupta
Early morning on Sunday, February 2, a private bus carrying pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh fell into a steep gorge in Gujarat’s Dang district, killing five people and injuring 35 more, according to police. They added that 17 of the injured were seriously injured and that the victims were travelling to different states in the nation to visit places of worship.
As stated by SP (superintendent of police) in charge, S.G. Patil, the accident happened at about 4:15 a.m. when the bus driver lost control of the wheels near Saputara hill station. The bus, which was carrying 48 pilgrims, smashed the crash barrier and plunged down the gorge to a depth of around 35 feet.The travellers left Trimbakeshwar, a sacred shrine in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, at night to journey to Dwarka in Gujarat.
As per the official, the accident occurred 2.5 kilometres from the hill station after they took a little tea break in Saputara before continuing on their journey. “Fifteen individuals were critically injured and brought to a public hospital in Ahwa, and five died instantaneously. Others have had minor injuries. “The rescue operation is almost completed,” the source stated.
According to the authorities, the bus driver was one of three males and two women who died.17 of the 35 passengers who were transported to the community health centres (CHCs) in the area for treatment were referred to the district’s Ahwa civil hospital, Patil said.
The pilgrims, who are from Madhya Pradesh, had left on a journey to religious sites in several states on December 23, 2024, in a caravan of four buses.
Mahesh Patel, the Dang collector, said that one of the four buses that were carrying the pilgrims fell into the gorge, causing the unfortunate occurrence.
In addition to offering his condolences, MP CM Mohan Yadav said that the relatives of the deceased would receive Rs 4 lakh, the critically injured Rs 1 lakh, and the other accident victims Rs 50,000.