25 May,2026 01:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Image
Eight people were killed after an SUV plunged into a deep gorge in Maharashtra's Raigad district, police said on Monday, reported PTI.
The accident took place in the Ambenali Ghat section on the Poladpur-Mahabaleshwar road between 5 am and 6 am on Sunday. The vehicle was located in the gorge on Monday morning after relatives of the victims alerted the police when the group failed to reach their destination in Satara district.
According to police, the victims had left Harne in Dapoli around 2 am in the SUV. Concern grew after they lost contact and did not arrive in Satara as expected. Family members began searching for them before approaching the authorities, reported PTI.
During the investigation, police tracked the victims' last known location through mobile tower data near Poladpur. A search operation was subsequently launched in the Ambenali Ghat stretch, where the SUV was spotted nearly 800 feet below the road in a gorge, reported PTI.
Police suspect the driver lost control of the vehicle while navigating the ghat section, causing it to plunge into the ravine.
Rescue teams, including local disaster management personnel, were deployed at the site. Officials said two bodies were initially recovered, while three more victims had been traced during the ongoing operation. Later, police confirmed that all eight occupants had died in the accident.
The deceased have been identified as Ritesh Lokhande (22), Suhas Lokhande (20), Utkarsh Shingte (21), Nikhil Shingte (25), Mahesh Pawar (25), Aditya Salunkhe (21), Rajesh Katkar (35), all residents of Satara district, and Ansh Chavan (19), a resident of Ratnagiri district, reported PTI.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the tragic accident at Ambenali Ghat in Raigad district in which eight people lost their lives after their vehicle plunged nearly 1,500 feet into a valley during a trip with friends.
"The tragic incident in which 8 people lost their lives in a fatal accident at Ambenali Ghat in Raigad district is extremely heartbreaking. I pay my heartfelt tribute to them. We share in the grief of their families. These 8 friends were on a trip when their vehicle plunged 1500 feet into a valley. As a result, the bodies are scattered at different locations. The district administration has promptly initiated relief and rescue operations, forming 5 teams each comprising 7 personnel. Efforts to retrieve the bodies have been undertaken at a war footing, and so far, 3 bodies have been recovered. The remaining bodies will be retrieved soon. Assistance from NDRF is also being availed. Other voluntary rescue teams are also providing help. Of the deceased, 1 is from Ratnagiri district, while the remaining 7 are from Satara district. The Raigad and Satara police forces are also coordinating efforts," Fadnavis said in a post on X.
(With inputs from PTI)
