Mumbai BEST bus accident: At least seven persons died and more than 49 others were injured in a major road accident in Mumbai on Monday night. A bus of the Mumbai's civic transport body BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) rammed into pedestrians as well as vehicles, claiming several lives.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis announced Rs 5 lakhs ex gratia to the kins of the deceased victims in Kurla accident and treatment of the injured will be born by BEST and BMC.
The police and municipal corporation officials said that it is suspected the accident near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) L Ward in Kurla took place due to a brake failure. The bus driver was detained after the accident.
DCP Zone 5 Ganesh Gawade said, " In Kurla, BEST bus lost control and crushed a few vehicles. 25 people got injured and 4 people have died. Injured people are being treated at hospitals. The driver of the bus has been taken into custody. An inquiry is underway."
BEST officials said they were having trouble with the probe due to the crowd at the site. However, heavy police deployment was made to maintain law and order at the accident site.
Bus also rams into a police vehicle
The bus, after ploughing through pedestrians and vehicles, entered a residential society, Buddha Colony, and came to a halt. The eyewitnesses said the bus, on route 332 from Kurla to Andheri, also rammed into a police vehicle, injuring at least four cops.
The bus bearing registration number MH01-EM-8228 was going from Kurla railway station to Andheri when the accident occurred.
Bus driver beaten up by locals
"It dashed into various vehicles over a 100-metre stretch and the RCC column of Solomon building. The windows of the bus broke on impact. Locals roughed up the driver," an official said.
"I was standing in front of Royal Sweets shop along with my friends when I saw a bus being driven rashly. The bus suddenly dashed into multiple vehicles as well as pedestrians and entered Buddha Colony. We rushed and brought out the bus driver," said Zeeshan Ansari, an eyewitness.
"Many people were lying in a pool of blood. A crowd assembled at the spot and started moving the injured to hospital," he added.
Zaid Ahmed, a 26-year-old resident of the area, said he was leaving his house to go to the railway station when he heard a loud noise.
"I ran to the spot and saw a BEST bus had hit pedestrians, other vehicles, including an autorickshaw and three cars. I saw some dead bodies in front of my eyes. We rescued the passengers in the autorickshaw and took them to Bhabha Hospital in another three-wheeler. My friends also helped in providing relief to the injured," Ahmed recounted.
(With agencies inputs)
Also read: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri meets Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus amid strained ties
