Navi Mumbai: Eight persons, including a driver, were killed after a Scorpio SUV plunged nearly 1,000 to 1,200 feet into a deep gorge in the Ambenali Ghat section on the Poladpur-Mahabaleshwar highway in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, triggering a massive rescue operation that continued for more than 20 hours, police said on Monday.
Accident discovered & police response
According to police, the accident came to light at around 11.30 pm on May 24, when Poladpur Police Station received information about a horrific accident in the Ambenali Ghat section. A police team immediately rushed to the spot and coordinated in advance to keep rescue machinery, ambulances, ropes, stretchers and other emergency equipment ready before reaching the scene.
The accident vehicle, a Scorpio SUV bearing registration number MH 11 DN 2340, had travelled from Satara to the Harnai Port area in Dapoli for tourism. The group of eight, including the driver, had reportedly left Harnai for Satara at around 2 am on Sunday when the accident occurred at approximately 5.30 am near a sharp turn within the limits of Dabhil village in the Ambenali Ghat section.
Joint rescue operation teams
Police said the SUV plunged into a deep valley adjacent to the ghat road, making the rescue operation extremely difficult and risky. The bodies of the victims were found scattered at different locations deep inside the gorge.
A joint rescue operation involving the police and several rescue teams, including Pratapgad Rescue Trekkers, Mahad Siscamp Rescue Team, Roha Rescue Team, Narveer Rescue Team, Kalbhairavnath Rescue Team, Mahabaleshwar Trekkers and villagers from Devale, Haldule and Lahulse, was launched to retrieve the victims.
Raigad Superintendent of Police Anchal Dalal supervised the operation. “The rescue operation was extremely challenging due to the steep terrain, dense vegetation and scattered locations of the bodies. Despite the difficult conditions, all agencies and volunteers worked in coordination for more than 20 hours to complete the operation,” Dalal said.
Police officials at the site
Additional Superintendent of Police Abhijit Shivthare, Mahad Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shankar Kale and Poladpur Police Station in-charge Anand Rawde, along with other police personnel, remained present at the site and actively participated in the rescue work.
By Monday evening, all eight bodies were recovered from the valley and shifted to the Rural Hospital in Poladpur. Officials said rescuers faced major challenges due to the steep terrain, dense vegetation and inaccessible locations where the bodies were trapped. Despite the difficulties, rescue teams continued the operation relentlessly for over 20 hours.
The deceased were identified as Ansh Sameer Chavan (19), a resident of Borgaon in Chiplun taluka of Ratnagiri district; Ritesh Rajendra Lokhande (22) and Suhas Jitendra Lokhande (20), both residents of Asgaon in Satara district; Utkarsh Anand Shingte (21) and Nikhil Abhimanyu Shingte (21), both residents of Marde in Satara district; Mahesh Anil Pawar (25) and Aditya Ashok Salunkhe (21), both residents of Asgaon in Satara district; and Sandeep Ashok Katkar (35), the driver and a resident of Khatav in Satara district.
Police registered Fatal Motor Accident Case No. 09/2026 at Poladpur Police Station. Further investigation is being carried out by Police Constable Kondalkar under the guidance of Police Inspector Anand Rawde.
Expressing grief over the tragedy, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the incident “extremely heartbreaking” and said rescue operations were being carried out on a war footing with assistance from the NDRF and volunteer rescue teams.
Maharashtra Deputy Chairperson Sunetra Pawar and Governor Jishnu Dev Varma also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
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