Maharashtra: 2 students dead, several injured after school bus overturns in Raigad

A private bus, carrying 49 students overturned, on Sunday night in Maharashtra's Raigad district. At least two students died, and numerous others have sustained injuries. The accident happened at around 8 pm, on the old Mumbai-Pune highway near Magic Point hill, about 14 km from Lonavala hill station in the Khopoli police station area.

All students and the driver sustained injuries in the accident, while two students aged 16 and 17, who were critically injured, were declared dead during the treatment. The deceased have been identified as Raj Rajesh Mhatre (16), of Asalfa village in the suburb of Ghatkopar, and Hitika Khanna, a resident of Chembur camp.The bus was carrying class 10 students from a private coaching class in Mumbai's suburban Chembur.

As per the Raigad police, students were returning to Chembur after a picnic in Lonavala when the bus overturned after the driver lost control of it. Reports indicate that the driver might have lost control of the bus due to brake failure.Senior police inspector Gauri More Patil while talking about the incident said, "The students were returning from a picnic when the bus overturned. A case is being registered,"News agency PTI quoted a senior official as saying, "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.