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The bodies of all 30 of the passengers on a bus that fell into a ravine in western India, except for the one survivor, have been found. Police had initially believed that 34 passengers were on the bus and were searching for three missing people earlier Sunday. "We initially thought there were 34 passengers according to a list including two drivers but it seems some people cancelled at the last minute," said TC Palonkar at the Raigad district police control room. The bus had been carrying 31 passengers when it skidded off the road and plunged 150 metres into a gorge in the Western Ghats mountain range in Maharashtra state on Saturday. "Only one passenger managed to escape as the bus fell. He was the one who informed the police," Palonkar said. The bus was carrying employees of an agricultural university in the town of Dapoli to the hill station of Mahabaleshwar for the weekend. The group was on an annual outing. The front window of the bus broke as it fell, and the lone survivor, Prakash Sawant-Desai, caught hold of the branches of a tree through it. He later climbed down the tree and clambered up the steep slope, Palonkar said. "I managed to climb up and called up Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Agriculture University authorities and the police," Sawant-Desai, an assistant director at the university, was quoted as saying by IANS. Rescue operations, which have now ended, were difficult as it was raining intermittently and the area is forested. A team from the National Disaster Response Force and trekking club members from nearby towns, along with local villagers, helped with the operations, Palonkar added. Australian Associated Press

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/5a77d4ee-d674-4185-bcc2-beddd8d6801c.jpg/r0_74_800_526_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg</s>Sole survivor from the bus that fell in 1,000-feet deep gorge on Mahabaleshwar Poladpur road, says the driver lost control as it was 'drizzling and foggy'

Thirty-four staffers of a Dapoli-based agricultural college, who were heading to Rahuri for a study tour in a mini bus on Saturday morning, fell into the 1,000-feet gorge, and got stuck at 500 feet. Eighteen bodies have been pulled out since then, and only one person has survived. Maharashtra government has announced a compensation of R4 lakh to the family of the each of the deceased.

The National Disaster Response Force reached the spot at 4 pm to perform rescue operations. The incident came to light after Prakash Sawant Desai, an assistant superintendent working at the Balashaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, and the only survivor, climbed up the gorge and alerted Raigad police about the incident. The accident took place at Mahabaleshwar Poladpur road in the Ambenali Ghat around 11.45 am.



Prakash Sawant Desai was the only one who survived as he was next to the door

Speaking to mid-day, Prakash, said, "We left from the campus around 6.30 am. It seems the driver lost control of the bus as it was drizzling and foggy. I was sitting near the entrance of the bus, and didn't understand what was happening, but somehow managed to jump out of the bus and climb up. I borrowed a phone from the people gathered and called my friend Ajit, who contacted the local police."

The police have identified the bodies recovered as Rajendra Bandbe, Hemant Surve, Sunil Kadam, Roshan Tabib, Sandip Suvre, Pramod Jadhav, Vinayak Savant, Gorkshanath Tonde, Dattaram Dhaygude, Ratnakar Paygudhe, Pramod Shigavne, Santosh Jalgavkar, Shivdar Aagre, Sachin Ghivmahnekar, Sanjay Sawant, Rajendra Risbhud, Sunil Satle, Ritesh Jadhav , Pankaj Kadam, Nilesh Tambe, Santosh Zagade, Anil Savke, Pravin Randive, Sandeep Bhosale, Vikrant Shinde, Sachin Gujar, Rajaram Gavde, Rajesh Sawant, Sachin Zagade, Ravikiran Salvi, Sanjiv Zagade and Suyash Bal.



A picture taken by one of the occupants' phone, before the accident, which was then shared on a WhatsApp group

The 40 occupants were made up of staff members, PhD students, and two drivers. Deceased Rajendra Risbhud's brother Vishwas said, "This is a shock to us. He was the breadwinner of the family. He was a professor and farmer, and had his own mango business." Sanjay Bhave, a senior agriculture officer of the Vidyapeeth, said, "Every year, our campus organises a study tour. This time, the staffers along with the PhD students, planned to visit the Rahuri-based Mahatma Phule Agriculture college for the purpose of wheat research. There were around 40 people. This incident is unfortunate and huge lost for our campus."

Superintendent of Police, Raigad, Anil Pasraskar, said, "The bus has fallen into a gorge, which didn't have a safety wall. We have managed to reach to the bus and additional ropes and cranes have been summoned. It's a dense area and we have managed to pull out 18 bodies while others are trapped. At present, we have closed the ghat and the rescue workers will be working until all the bodies have been pulled out." All the bodies will be handed over to the families after post-mortem.

40

people are feared dead in the accident

Also Read: Ten passengers killed as bus falls into Maharashtra ravine

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates</s>July 28 (UPI) -- A bus fell into a gorge Saturday afternoon in India, killing all but one of the 34 passengers, who were employees of Dapoli Agriculture University.

The crash occurred in Ambenali Ghat near Poladpur town in Raigad district on the way to Mahabaleshwar for a two-day trip, the Indian Times reported.

Prakash Sawant Desai, assistant superintendent with the university, managed to jump out of the bus, climbed up the slope and took the phone of a passerby to summon help.

Sawant told the local authorities the bus skidded at a muddy spot on the Ambenali Ghat road and fell about 500 feet down in the 800-feet deep gorge.

"The bus veered to the left and fell into the gorge before we could understand what was happening," he told reporters. "Trees arrested the fall someway down. I had managed to jump out in time. I climbed my way up somehow."

Forty people originally were to take the trip but some opted out because the bus was too small to accommodate all of them, he said.

The government announced a compensation of $5,822 for the kin of the deceased.

"Pained by the loss of lives due to a bus accident in Maharashtra's Raigad district," Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on Twitter. "My condolences to those who lost their loved ones."</s>At least 33 people have died after a bus crashed off a bridge and into a river in India.

At least 33 people have died after a bus crash in India 0:58

THE BODIES of 33 people who had been travelling on a bus that plunged into a 150-metre deep gorge in western India have been found.

The bus was carrying 34 passengers when it plunged into the gorge after unsuccessfully negotiating a bend in the Western Ghats mountain range in Maharashtra state, local police official Prakash Pawar said.

“There were 34 passengers on the bus, one person who jumped out survived,” police spokesman Kundan Gawade said.

The bus was carrying employees of an agricultural university located in the town of Dapoli to the hill station of Mahabaleshwar.

The group was on an annual outing.

One of the passengers jumped off the bus while the accident was happening, and managed to clamber up the hillside and report the disaster, Officer Pawar said.

The sole survivor has been identified as Prakash Sawant Desai, according to police inspector Balkrushna Jadhav of Raigad police.

Police said the passengers were from Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, an agricultural university at Dapoli in Ratnagiri district, and were going on a picnic to Mahabaleshawar.

As they were crossing a sharp turn at Poladpur around 11.30am, the driver lost control and the bus fell into the gorge, according to the Hindustani Times.

The victims were university employees headed to a picnic.

A team from the National Disaster Relief Force was assisting in rescue operations.

India has the highest number of traffic fatalities worldwide, with an average of about 135,000 people dying per year on the country’s roads.

One person is killed in a road accident every four minutes, according to government data.

Common causes are bad roads, non-roadworthy vehicles and reckless driving.

On July 1 of this year a bus crash in Northern India killed 45 people after the bus lost control and split in two.

Then on July 19, yet another bus crash killed 14 people and injuring 17 others after plunging into a gorge in India’s North.

India’s hill roads are particularly prone to accidents during the rainy monsoon season that runs from June to September.</s>MUMBAI: A bus carrying university workers plunged off a mountain road into a valley in western India on Saturday killing 33 people, police said.

Only one passenger is believed to have survived the accident in Raigad district of Maharashtra state.

The bus was taking staff of Dapoli Agriculture University to the popular hill station of Mahabaleshwar for a picnic, a senior Raigad district administrator, Vijay Suryawanshi, told AFP.

"We have confirmed 33 deaths and only one person managed to survive the bus crash.

Our team is trying to recover the bodies," Anupam Srivastava, commander of India''s National Disaster Relief Force, told AFP.

"The surviving passenger managed to alert officials about the deaths and the crash," he added.

Police said the slippery mountain terrain where the latest accident took place made the road a danger.

Accidents on India''s notorious roads claim the lives of more than 150,000 people each year.

Most accidents are blamed on poor roads, badly-maintained vehicles and reckless driving.

Earlier this month, 48 people were killed and many others badly injured in northern India when an overcrowded bus hurtled into a gorge in the Himalayan foothills.</s>Tewantin's Shonee Bowtell is a contestant on the new season of Australian Survivor: Champions vs Contenders.

Tewantin's Shonee Bowtell is a contestant on the new season of Australian Survivor: Champions vs Contenders. NIGEL WRIGHT

SHONEE Bowtell is ready to step into the spotlight on Australian Survivor.

The 26-year-old from Tewantin is one of a dozen 'contenders' competing against well-known Aussie 'champions' on the new season of the reality TV show.

Married to pro-skater Benny Fairfax, Shonee spends her life between London and Noosa where she is an HR assistant. She applied for Survivor to step out of her husband's shadow and show the world what she's got.

"My husband's achievements are endless so this is my chance to shine and do something super cool for myself and contribute to our lives," she said.

"I may just be a wife but I 100 percent believe I can outwit, outplay and outlast anyone you put me up against.

"My life doesn't allow me to have a traditional job so this is my chance to do something amazing and really shine. People are constantly talking to me about my husband's achievements; I want them to speak about mine."

Admitting she's stubborn but loyal, Shonee thinks her strength will come from the social side of the Survivor game.

"I already know I have a great social game and I can persuade people to give me what I want," she said.

"I will be the best sole survivor because I am basically just a professional athlete's wife so when the other contestants hear this, I think they'll disregard me as a threat and that's when I will go in for the kill."

Host Jonathan LaPaglia told the Daily she will surprise many of her fellow competitors.

"There's a cheeky side to Shonee that I really appreciated and liked," he said. "She also surprised us in how well she competed in challenges."

She isn't the only contestant flying the flag for the Coast. Sales rep and mum-of-four Anita Berkett, 49, is also a contender.

"Both women do extremely well on the show. They do the state proud," LaPaglia said.

Australian Survivor: Champions vs Contenders premieres on Wednesday at 7.30pm on Ten.</s>A bus fell into a 200-feet-deep gorge in Ambenali Ghat in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Saturday. According to reports, at least 35 people have been killed in the bus accident near Mahabaleshwar.

As per unconfirmed report says there were 40 workers of Konkan Agricultural University travelling in the bus. The accident took place 100 km from Mumbai.

As per reports rescue operations are currently underway to pull out survivors from the bus which rolled down the ghat in Poladpur near Mahabaleshwar.

The Times of India reports that there were 38 workers of Konkan Agricultural University travelling in the bus, as per unconfirmed information. NDRF teams have been rushed for rescue operation.

“The bus was carrying 40 staffers of Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli to Mahableshwar,” reports The Times of India.

Reports coming in said one passenger was fortunate enough to survive the crash who climbed atop and informed locals about the deadly accident. Rest of the injured were injured.

Economic Times confirms that a team of NDRF was rushed to the spot for relief operations.The driver of the bus could not negotiate a steep turn that to led to the fatal accident.</s>All the 30 bodies were recovered on from the accident site at Ambenali Ghat near Poladpur town in Raigad district, where a bus carrying 31 employees of an agriculture university at Dapoli in Ratnagiri district had fallen into a gorge on Saturday morning. Only one of the 31 passengers inside the bus, who had jumped while the bus was sliding along the slope, survived the accident.

Earlier reports on Saturday had said there were 34 passengers on the bus. But the university officials and police today confirmed that only 31 people had finally boarded the bus.

“The search operation by the NDRF and local trekkers is over. The total number of deaths in the accident is 30. There were 31 passengers in the bus, of which one jumped out and survived,” Raigad district collector Vijay Suryavanshi said.

“The earlier number of people believed to be traveling in the bus was 34, which was based on the survivor’s state who was in a state of shock. Also the number given by University officials was based those who enrolled last for the trip,” he said.

The passengers, all employees of Dr Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Agriculture University, were on their way to Mahabaleshwar hill station in Satara district for a two-day trip.

The incident came to light after the lone survivor, Prakash Desai — the assistant office superintendent with the university — managed to jump out of the bus, climbed up the slope and called the police and another university employee from the cellphone of a passerby. The mishap had taken place around 10.30 am.

Suryavanshi said the driver’s attention may have been diverted when someone in the bus had cracked a joke. “A detailed investigation is being conducted. But according to information received from the survivor, the driver’s attention got diverted when a joke was cracked in the bus… and he lost control of the vehicle.” Suryavanshi had told Express on Saturday night.

While the initial search of the bodies was conducted by the local residents and groups of trekkers in the area, the National Disaster Response Force teams from Pune reached the spot around 7 pm in the evening. Fourteen bodies were taken out by the trekkers, 14 more were taken out by the NDRF teams till 12 noon, while the trekkers continued assisting them. The search operation was on throughout the night with the help of floodlights.

Anupam Srivastava, the Commandant with the Battalion of the NDRF said, “Till 12 noon am, a total of 28 bodies have been taken out.” NDRF officials on the site said that at least six of the bodies were found 50 feet down the slope from the point where the bus had stopped.

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App</s>Rescue teams had so far recovered nearly a dozen bodies

The bus rolled down a mountain road in Ambenali Ghat, Maharashtra state.

More than 30 people are feared dead after a bus fell into a deep gorge in western India, an official has said.

The vehicle was carrying 34 employees of Dapoli Agriculture University on Saturday when it plunged off a mountain road in Raigad district of Maharashtra state.

It was heading to the popular hill station in Mahabaleshwar for a picnic, Vijay Suryawanshi, a senior Raigad district administrator, told AFP news agency.

The bus rolled down a mountain road in Ambenali Ghat, near Poladpur town. A team from the National Disaster Response Force was sent to help victims.

According to local media reports, a dozen ambulances and 15 doctors arrived at the scene of the accident.

One man survived after he leaped from the bus and then climbed back to the road to inform university officials about the accident, Suryawanshi said.

Rescue teams had so far recovered nearly a dozen bodies amid intermittent rains in the area.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the accident on Twitter.

Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis also gave his condolences and said the government was doing everything it could do to help.

India has the world's deadliest roads, with more than 110,000 people killed annually.

Early this month, 48 people were killed and 11 injured when an overcrowded bus spun off a slippery road and fell into a deep ravine in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

Most crashes are blamed on reckless driving, poorly maintained roads and ageing vehicles.</s>A librarian from Casebrook and a receptionist from Templeton have out-played 15 other castaways to make the grand final of TVNZ’s Survivor New Zealand.

On Sunday night, Lisa Stanger, 39, and Tess Fahey, 24, will find out who is the sole survivor in the third season of the “gruelling” reality TV show set in Thailand.

The live final, where the winner will be announced, will take place in Auckland and the sole survivor will walk away with $250,000.

Another contestant from Auckland, Dave Lipanovic, makes up the final three.

Twenty years of being a librarian didn’t hamper Ms Stanger’s chances of being a successful contestant.

The self-proclaimed Survivor-addict always dreamed of being on the show and admits she was never “much of an outdoors person.”

Merrin School, where Ms Stanger works, was accommodating and supportive when she asked for the time off.

“They really wanted me to fulfil this long-held dream of mine,” she said.

Miss Fahey quit her job as a receptionist in the United Kingdom and returned to her New Zealand home shortly before her departure for Thailand.

She admits she spent the last month before the show “drinking and partying with friends” and even ate a triple Big Mac combo at the airport before she left.

“It’s probably not the advice I’d offer anyone else but it worked for me,” she joked.

Miss Fahey’s competitive drive and desire for adventure led her to the show, which she said she would do all over again.

Ms Stanger said she wouldn’t do it again and that watching herself on the show “was a little bit distressing.”

“It was so hard. I was a huge fan of Survivor but you could never understand how hard it is until you do it . . . I was staggering more than I was walking. I was so weak and so hungry,” she said.

Both competitors said they would share the prize money with family and charities to help children.
A bus crashes in Dapoli, India, killing thirty people and leaving one sole survivor.