7 perish, 43 injured in BEST bus’s deadly crash in Kurla
7 perish, 43 injured in BEST bus’s deadly crash in Kurla
It was the deadliest ever BEST bus crash in Kurla that took the life of seven innocent people. Little they could have imagined it was their last travel. Other 43 people have sustained injuries, with some in critical and receiving treatment at the Babha Hospital.
The accident occurred at SG Barve Road, Kurla.
Monday. The Police officials have cautioned that the number of fatalities could increase given the grave nature of the accident.
The deceased in the fatal Kurla BEST bus accident have been identified as Shivam Kashyap (18), Kaniz Fatima (55), Afeel Shah (19) and Anam Sheikh (20). Three other deceased are yet to be identified.
It was a crowded BEST Bus route 332 from Kurla to Andheri.
The driver lost control of the bus near the White House building next to L ward office.
The speeding bus struck multiple vehicles and people walking on the street before finally crashing into the entrance of Ambedkar Nagar at around 9:30pm on Monday. The collision involved five to six autorickshaws, 10 motorcycles, and approximately 10 pedestrians.
First the bus hit an auto and then it went on to hit vehicles one after another till it crashed into the Ambedkar Colony gate. In the melee, it rammed into several pedestrians and hawkers. There was chaos as people did not understand what was happening. It was like a terror attack. As per an eyewitness, a mob chased the bus and caught hold of the driver and roughed him up till such time the police arrived.
According to Ahmed, as he was leaving his house to head to the railway station, he heard a loud noise and saw that a BEST bus driver had hit several pedestrians, rickshaws, and cars.” He also said they rescued some of the injured people trapped in a rickshaw and sent them to Bhabha Hospital in another rickshaw. Another Sharique Ansari said his car was pushed for 100 metres before the bus halted said Zaid Ahmed, an eyewitness from Kurla.
BEST officials have initiated an investigation to determine whether the accident resulted from careless driving. While initial reports suggest brake failure as a possible cause, a technical expert from the traffic division is verifying these claims.
Regional Transport Office chief Ravi Gaikwad confirmed that specialists have examined the vehicle and will assist Mumbai police in determining the root cause, whether it was due to technical issues, brake malfunction or driver negligence.
The authorities have taken into custody the 43-year-old bus operator, Sanjay More, who claimed that faulty brakes led to the collision. But then why was the driver speeding when he knew of the non-function of the break. Most of the BEST Bus drivers are reckless.. Even on a crowded they drive fast little realising the danger ahead.. The driver in the case shouldn’t be let off easily.
Some locals described the accident’s impact as “resembling a terror attack,” which led to widespread panic. A massive crowd gathered at the scene, prompting the deployment of the Quick Response Team (QRT) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) to restore order.
News Edit KV Raman
