Raigad, Apr 16 (IANS): In a shocking pre-dawn tragedy, at least 12 youths, including five minors, were killed and another 29 were left injured after a private bus jumped off the old Mumbai-Pune Highway and crashed into a gorge, officials said here on Saturday.

The driver, identified as Mahesh Ramchandra Poojari (35) from Goregaon, also perished in the ghastly accident.

President Draupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and others mourned the tragedy and expressed condolences to the victims' families.

The PM announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each deceased person, and Rs 50,000 for the injured, while Shinde declared an ex-gratia of Rs 500,000 for the families of the dead and full treatment expenses for the injured which will be borne by the government.

Khopoli Police inspector Shirish K. Pawar informed from the scene of the tragedy that the accident occurred at around 4 a.m. on Saturday on the Pune-Mumbai arm of the old highway when the bus reportedly fell into the ravine at least 60-metre below, near the treacherous Bhorghat section.

Initially, when the rescuers rushed there, they could only hear the wails and screams of the victims and it was only around daybreak that the rescue operations gained momentum.

"From preliminary investigations, it appears that the driver may have dozed off or lost control while negotiating one of the steep turns on the highway. Further investigations are underway," said Pawar.

At that early hour, there was limited traffic on the highway but some people managed to rush to the accident spot, called the Raigad Police, fire brigade, some workers from a nearby construction site and Yeshwanti Hikers, a local trekkers' group, for help.

A massive rescue operation got underway with climbers going down to help the victims below, numbering around 42, including the bus driver, in the inaccessible areas.

After nearly nine hours, all the survivors were rescued and the bodies of those killed were recovered.

According to Pawar and the district authorities, 12 youngsters plus the vehicle driver perished in the bus fall, with the possibility of fatalities going up.

Of the 29 injured, some are said to be critical, and are undergoing treatment in the Khopoli Civil Hospital, the Jakhotia Hospital, and the private MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai.

A Raigad police official said that a majority of the passengers were members of the Baji Prabhu Music Group, Goregaon, and comprised five minors, three girls and other youngsters in their teens or twenties, who were returning home after performing at a programme in Pune on Friday.

Among the victims are: Jui D. Sawant, 18, Kritik Lohit, 16, Veer K. Mandavkar, 6-years kid (Goregaon residents) Rahul P. Gothal, 17 of Dindoshi, Abhay V. Sable, 20 and Vaibhavi Sabale, 15, of Malad, Harshada B. Pardeshi, 19 of Mahim, Satish S. Dhumal, 25, Swapnil S. Dhumal, 15, Yash S. Yadav, 20, Manish Rathod, 29 (Chembur), and Aniket S. Jagtap, 25, said the Raigad police late on Saturday night.

Scores of grieving parents or relatives of the deceased victims, who rushed to Raigad, were handed over the bodies of their near-and-dear ones to be taken to their respective destinations for the last rites.

Shinde, along with top police and civil officials, visited the accident site and later met the victims in the hospitals and assured them of full help, and consoled the kin of the deceased.