Scorpio Falls Into 1500-Foot Gorge Near Mahabaleshwar, 8 Killed

New Delhi: A tragic accident took place at Ambenli Ghat near Mahabaleshwar at around 2:45 am on Sunday morning. A Scorpio returning from Konkan to Satara suddenly went out of control and fell into a 1500-foot-deep gorge. 8 friends traveling in the car died on the spot. The accident was so terrible that the rescue team had to search for bodies with binoculars.

Who were the people in the car?

According to the police, all the youth were residents of Asgaon and Koregaon in Satara district. All these friends were returning after visiting Harne Beach on the night of 24th May. The driver lost control while crossing the dangerous turn of Ambenli Ghat near Dabeli village of Raigarh district. Within a moment the vehicle fell straight into a deep ditch.

Why was the rescue work so difficult?

The ditch was so deep and the area so inaccessible that the rescue team lost their sweat. As soon as the news was received, Poladpur Police, Mahabaleshwar Trackers, Pratapgarh Rescue Team, Aapda Mitra and villagers reached the spot. But it seemed impossible to get down. First a dead body was seen through binoculars. Then the team descended with the help of ropes. So far only two bodies have been recovered from a depth of 500 to 700 feet. The search for the remaining bodies and the vehicle is ongoing.

What did the police say?

Poladpur police station officer Anand Rowde said that the accident happened on the border of Dabeli village. It was night time, the bend of the ghat was sharp and it was also quite dark. It is feared that the driver could not control the vehicle due to sleep or high speed.

Has Ambenli Ghat been witness to accidents before?

This ghat has become a ghat of death. In 2018, the Dapoli Agricultural University bus fell into a ditch here. Many students lost their lives in that accident also. Local people have been demanding installation of crash barriers and warning boards here for a long time. But after every major accident, there are only promises of investigation.

What next?

At present the rescue operation is going on. The ditch is very deep so it is taking hours to remove each dead body. The rainy season is also adding to the problem. This accident has once again raised questions on the safety of the ghat roads. Dangerous turn, no parapet, no light, for how long will people continue to lose their lives?