As many as 7 people people lost their lives, and over 20 others sustained injuries on Monday night when a bus operated by Mumbai’s civic transport body, BEST, crashed into pedestrians and vehicles. The accident occurred near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) L Ward in Kurla and is suspected to have been caused by a brake failure. The bus driver has been detained for questioning, officials confirmed.
The incident involved a BEST bus on route number 332, which was traveling from Kurla railway station to Andheri. The driver reportedly lost control, leading the bus to collide with pedestrians and multiple vehicles over a 100-meter stretch. The bus eventually came to a stop after entering Buddha Colony, a residential society.
Emergency responders transported three deceased victims to Bhabha Hospital, where 22 injured individuals, including a teenage girl, were being treated. Some of the injured are reported to be in critical condition.
The collision caused extensive damage to several vehicles and also resulted in the bus striking the RCC column of the Solomon building. Witnesses reported that the impact shattered the bus windows, and the driver was assaulted by locals following the crash.
The bus, bearing registration number MH01-EM-8228, caused significant destruction before coming to a halt, officials said.
Zeeshan Ansari, an eyewitness, told PTI “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.”
“Many people were lying in a pool of blood. A crowd assembled at the spot and started moving the injured to hospital,” Ansari said.
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 a 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.
Other eyewitnesses said the bus, on route 332 from Kurla to Andheri, also rammed into a police vehicle
The bus was a 12-metre long electric vehicle manufactured by Hyderabad-based Olectra Greentech and it had been taken by BEST on wet lease, another official said.
