Six friends on trip to Konkan dead as SUV falls into gorge in Tamhini Ghat

According to senior police inspector Mohan Khandare of Uttam Nagar police station, the victims were friends and had gone to the Konkan region in a Mahindra Thar SUV.

“They left their homes around 11.30 am on November 17. But when their family members called them on November 18, they were not reachable. After failing to trace them, they lodged a missing persons report with us on November 19. We launched a search. Probe revealed their last location was in the Tamhini Ghat region. Accordingly, we passed on the information to the Raigad police,“ Khandare said.

A team from the Mangaon police station in Raigad, along with rescue teams from the Raigad Disaster Management Committee, Mulshi Taluka Disaster Management Committee, Shelar Mana Rescue Team and local villagers, launched a major search operation for the missing youngsters.

They found the SUV in a deep gorge in the Tamhini Ghat on Thursday morning. Police then used drones to spot the bodies. When contacted, Raigad district Superintendent of Police Anchal Dalal said prima facie it appears the SUV broke through the road railings in the Tamhini Ghat region and rolled into the gorge.

Police suspect the SUV driver may have lost control and the vehicle fell into the gorge sometime on November 18. A probe is on to confirm the exact cause behind the mishap and time when it took place.

Meanwhile, police said the bodies of the victims were being removed from the spot. “The bodies have started decomposing. So the postmortem is being conducted at the spot itself,” Dalal said.

Family members of the victims have been informed and they have reached the accident spot. The bodies will be handed over to family members after the postmortem, police said.