A group of 49 students and teachers narrowly avoided a major accident while travelling on the Mumbai-Pune highway early Wednesday morning.
The terrifying incident unfolded around 7:30am near Mill village, in close proximity to the Khopoli exit along the old Mumbai-Pune highway.
The bus, ferrying the passengers, veered sharply off the road, coming to a halt roughly 100 meters away from its intended path.
Due the swift response of the highway police and the valiant efforts of Khopoli police Inspector Sheetal Raut, as well as the local rescue team from a local rescue group, led by Gurudada Satilkar, rescue work was done soon.
The group had been on their way to Raigad for a school-organised picnic, traveling in a private luxury bus from Chikhali.
Despite the harrowing nature of the incident, it's a relief that there were no significant injuries reported.
The bus driver was initially trapped, but he, along with the children, teachers, and the bus attendant, was safely extricated from the vehicle.
They were promptly provided refuge at Gagangiri Ashram, where they received necessary medical attention and a chance to recuperate.
Presently, authorities are conducting investigations to ascertain the root cause of the accident, which resulted in a temporary disruption of traffic along the highway.
