Team Goemkarponn
MUMBAI/GOA: Two persons lost their lives and 38 others sustained injuries after a private passenger bus overturned on the Mumbai–Goa Highway near Sukeli Ghat in Nagothane, Raigad district, in the early hours of Friday.
According to initial reports, the bus was travelling from Mumbai to Goa when it met with the accident at a sharp bend along the ghat section. The driver is suspected to have lost control of the vehicle due to overspeeding, causing the bus to topple. The sudden crash created panic among passengers, with many getting trapped inside the damaged vehicle.
Local residents who heard the loud impact rushed to the scene and began rescue efforts even before emergency responders arrived. Police personnel from Nagothane, along with local rescue teams, later pulled out the injured and shifted them to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.
Officials said that out of the 38 injured passengers, at least 10 are in critical condition. All the victims were first taken to a nearby medical facility, while those with serious injuries were later transferred to MGM Hospital for advanced care.
In a troubling development, several survivors claimed the accident was caused by the driver’s reckless driving rather than any mechanical fault. Passengers alleged that the driver had been speeding and driving erratically from the start of the journey. Despite repeated warnings from travellers, he reportedly ignored their requests to slow down.
Some passengers also stated that they had submitted an online complaint regarding the driver’s rash driving on the RedBus platform while the journey was still in progress. However, the mishap occurred before any corrective action could be taken.
The identities of the deceased have not yet been officially confirmed. Police have launched a detailed investigation and indicated that a technical inspection of the bus will also be conducted. The Sukeli Ghat stretch is known to be accident-prone, and the latest incident has once again raised concerns over highway safety and stricter enforcement of traffic regulations.
