Raigad accident: 8-year-old boy was troupe's youngest member; most victims from Goregaon

MUMBAI: Nine out of the 13 persons who died in Saturday's crash, where a private bus plunged into a gorge in Khopoli, were members of the Bajiprabhu Dhol Tasha Pathak, a music group.

While most of them were residents of Goregaon, many were residents of Santosh Nagar in Goregaon East. Locals in Santosh Nagar were on edge for the most part of the day as they flipped TV news channels to look for updates on the crash. Nineteen other members of the Dhol Tasha group were hospitalised after suffering injuries in the mishap.
Parents of eight-year-old Veer Mandavkar, the youngest member of the Bajiprabhu dhol tasha group, were eagerly waiting for his return as this was his first trip out of Mumbai for a music performance. They were left numb on learning of the accident and rushed to the site of the mishap in Khopoli.
Schoolboys gathered around Mandavkar's house on Saturday to confirm their worst fears that their friend had passed away. "He was my best friend," said a youngster, looking downcast. Mandavkar had appeared for his Class II exams recently and had been gifted a new bicycle by his parents. "He was the 'star attraction' of the dhol tasha group and was very enthusiastic," said a relative, adding that Mandavkar had joined the group a few months ago and was juggling his studies alongside practising music at a civic ground on Sundays.
Not far from Veer Mandavkar's residence lived the dhol tasha group's founder, Satish Dhumal, 23, who also died in the bus crash along with his sibling and co-performer, Swapnil Dhumal, 18. Satish Dhumal worked at an insurance firm and had formed the music group around three years ago after being trained by a professional from Pune.
His brother joined him, and they gradually assembled Dhol Tasha enthusiasts from the vicinity. The group performed locally, in the beginning, before more members joined. In recent times, the group has performed in Ratnagiri and south India and ran a page on Instagram.
"The members who perished were all under 24 years old. They were working hard to achieve their dreams before their lives were snuffed out so cruelly. This is a black day for all dhol tasha groups," said Prathamesh Mane, a friend of the Dhumals. The victims are largely from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Neighbours rallied around the family of Rahul Gothal, 17, a Class XII student who also died in the bus crash. Gothal's mother was initially told by the family that the youngster had suffered a leg injury in the crash and was recovering. His father proceeded to Khopoli alone to bring back his remains. His mother was inconsolable on finding out the truth. Later in the day, Gothal's school teacher visited his home to offer support to the family. Gothal's father works as carwasher while his mother is a maid. He is also survived by a young sister.
The band party had decided not to stay back in Pimpri-Chinchwad after their Friday evening performance and had left for Mumbai some time past midnight.