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.