India
-Krishna Kripa
A
tragic
incident
occurred
on
Monday
night
when
a
bus
operated
by
Mumbai’s
civic
transport
body,
BEST,
collided
with
pedestrians
and
vehicles.
This
accident
resulted
in
three
fatalities
and
over
20
injuries,
as
reported
by
police
and
municipal
officials.
The
mishap
took
place
near
the
Brihanmumbai
Municipal
Corporation’s
L
Ward
in
Kurla,
possibly
due
to
brake
failure.
The
bus
driver
has
been
detained
for
further
investigation.
image
The
bus,
bearing
registration
number
MH01-EM-8228,
was
travelling
from
Kurla
railway
station
to
Andheri
when
it
lost
control.
It
collided
with
multiple
vehicles
over
a
100-metre
stretch
before
crashing
into
the
RCC
column
of
the
Solomon
building.
The
impact
shattered
the
bus
windows.
The
vehicle
eventually
came
to
a
stop
after
entering
Buddha
Colony,
a
residential
area.
Eyewitness
Accounts
and
Immediate
Response
Zeeshan
Ansari,
who
witnessed
the
accident,
stated,
“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.” He
described
seeing
many
people
injured
and
lying
in
blood.
Zaid
Ahmed,
a
local
resident
aged
26,
recounted
his
experience:
“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.” Ahmed
and
his
friends
assisted
in
providing
aid
to
those
injured.
Details
of
the
Bus
and
Investigation
Challenges
The
bus
involved
was
a
12-metre
long
electric
vehicle
manufactured
by
Hyderabad-based
Olectra
Greentech.
It
had
been
leased
by
BEST
from
EVEY
Trans,
with
drivers
supplied
by
a
private
operator.
Registered
just
three
months
ago
on
August
20
this
year,
the
bus
was
relatively
new.
BEST
officials
faced
difficulties
conducting
their
investigation
due
to
the
large
crowd
gathered
at
the
accident
site.
A
police
official
mentioned
that
heavy
deployment
of
personnel
was
necessary
to
maintain
order
at
the
scene.
Impact
on
Vehicles
and
Injuries
The
crash
damaged
several
vehicles,
including
an
autorickshaw
and
three
cars.
Some
injured
individuals
were
reported
to
be
in
critical
condition.
Three
victims
were
declared
dead
upon
arrival
at
Bhabha
Hospital,
where
22
others
received
treatment
for
their
injuries.
Locals
reportedly
roughed
up
the
driver
following
the
accident.
The
bus
also
struck
a
police
vehicle
during
its
uncontrolled
journey
from
Kurla
to
Andheri
along
route
332.
This
incident
highlights
concerns
about
safety
measures
for
public
transport
vehicles
in
urban
areas.
Authorities
are
expected
to
conduct
thorough
investigations
to
determine
the
exact
cause
of
this
tragic
event.
