Maha: bus carrying students overturns in Raigad district; 2 killed, 47 hurt

Two students were killed and 47 others injured on Sunday night when their bus overturned in a hilly section near Khopoli town in Raigad district of Maharashtra while they were returning from a picnic in Lonavala, police said.

Prima facie, the driver of the bus lost control of the wheel due to the failure of the brakes.

The incident occurred near Magic Point hill on the old Mumbai-Pune highway around 8 pm, about 14 km from Lonavala hill station, an official said.

At least 49 students of a coaching class from suburban Chembur in Mumbai were travelling in the private bus, he said, adding they all are students of class 10.

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"While returning from a picnic in Lonavala (located in Pune district), the driver of the bus lost his control over the vehicle in the ghat (hilly road) terrain near Khopoli due to the failure of brakes," the official said.

All the students and the driver sustained injuries in the accident, he said, adding they were rushed to hospitals in Lonavala and Khopoli.

Two students aged 17 and 16, who were seriously injured, were declared dead during treatment, the official said.

The deceased are identified as Hitika Khanna, a resident of Chembur camp, and Raj Rajesh Mhatre (16), a resident of Asalfa village in suburban Ghatkopar.

The process to register an FIR was on, the official added.