Eight Killed As SUV Falls Into Deep Gorge In Maharashtra’s Raigad, CM Fadnavis Expresses Grief

Last Updated:May 25, 2026, 12:04 IST

The impact of the crash caused the bodies to be scattered across different locations in the valley, prompting a large-scale rescue and recovery operation.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday expressed grief over the death of eight people in a tragic accident at Ambenali Ghat in Maharashtra’s Raigad district after a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) plunged into a deep gorge.

Calling the incident “extremely heartbreaking", Fadnavis said the victims were a group of friends travelling together when their vehicle plunged nearly 1,500 feet into a valley.

“The tragic incident in which 8 people lost their lives in a fatal accident at Ambenali Ghat in Raigad district is extremely heartbreaking. I pay my heartfelt tribute to them. We share in the grief of their families," he said in a post on X.

According to the police, the victims have been identified as Ritesh Lokhande (22), Suhas Lokhande (20), Utkarsh Shingte (21), Nikhil Shingte (25), Mahesh Pawar (25), Aditya Salunkhe (21), Rajesh Katkar (35), all the residents of Satara, and Ansh Chavan (19), belonging to Ratnagiri.

The impact of the crash caused the bodies to be scattered across different locations in the valley, prompting a large-scale rescue and recovery operation.

The chief minister said the district administration immediately launched relief efforts by forming five rescue teams, each consisting of seven personnel. So far, three bodies have been recovered, while operations to retrieve the remaining victims are continuing with the assistance of the NDRF and voluntary rescue teams.

Fadnavis added that the police teams from Raigad and Satara are coordinating the rescue efforts.

The accident occurred in the Ambenali Ghat area on Poladpur-Mahabaleshwar road between 5 am and 6 am on Sunday when the victims were on their way from Dapoli to Satara. The vehicle was found in the gorge on Monday morning.

The victims had reportedly left from Harne in an SUV at around 2 am for Satara. When they failed to reach their destination, worried relatives began searching for them later in the day before approaching the police.

During the investigation, officials traced the group’s last known location through a mobile tower near Poladpur. A search operation was then launched in the Ambenali Ghat area, where police discovered the SUV nearly 800 feet deep inside a gorge on Monday morning, an official said.

Police suspect the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the vehicle while travelling through the ghat section, causing the SUV to plunge into the valley, the official added.

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