At least 30 people were killed and 14 injured when a private bus carrying pilgrims fell off a river bridge near Osmanabad town early Saturday, police said.
Osmanabad town is around 450 km from Mumbai. While at least 30 people were killed, a majority of the injured are in serious condition and the casualty figure is expected to go up.
The ill-fated bus, owned by Kaveshwari Travels, was on a journey from Hyderabad to the famous pilgrim centre of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra when the tragedy occurred around 2.30 a.m., Osmanabad Police said.
The accident occurred near Jakot village, around 40 km from Osmanabad, on the Hyderabad-Solapur highway as the bus was proceeding to Shirdi, the abode of the revered saint, Shri Saibaba.
According to eyewitnesses, the bus overturned four-five times and caught fire. Officials describe it as the worst road tragedy till date in the state.
The exact cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, a police official said.
The injured have been rushed to hospitals in Osmanabad, Latur, Solapur and other neighbouring towns and efforts are on to identify the dead.
Last month, (May 28), some 27 people from Mumbai belonging to a marriage party, going to Pune, were mowed down by a speeding cargo tempo at Raigad.