• By Nidhi Giri
  • Tue, 10 Dec 2024 02:15 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Kurla Bus Accident: The driver of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) bus that lost control in Mumbai's Kurla West on Monday night, leaving seven dead and over 42 injured, had joined the service on December 1. Officers now suspect that his inexperience may have led to the accident.

The accident took place at around 9:50 pm when the BEST bus was on its way towards Andheri. The bus driver rammed the bus into pedestrians and vehicles at SG Barve Marg.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V) Ganesh Gawade said the driver, Sanjay More, began driving the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus just ten days ago. “In his statement, the driver said he panicked and could not control the vehicle,” the DCP revealed, as quoted by an Indian Express report.

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Mumbai court has sent the driver to police custody till December 21. Forty-nine people were injured in the accident, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Disaster Control Management unit said.

There were around 50 passengers in the bus at the time of the accident, DCP Gawade said, adding that investigators will examine CCTV footage of the incident to find out what happened.

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Teams from BEST and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) will also do a technical analysis to rule out any malfunction in the vehicle, such as brake failure.

Shiv Sena MLA Cites Brake Failure As Reason Behind Kurla Bus Accident

Speaking about the Kurla bus accident, Shiv Sena MLA Dilip Lande said that the bus driver pressed the accelerator in panic after losing control of the vehicle and rammed into 30-35 people.

"A bus which left from Kurla Station, its brake got failed and the driver lost control of the bus. The driver got scared and instead of pressing the brake, he pressed the accelerator and the speed of the bus increased. He couldn't control the bus and rammed into 30-35 people... people died, 4 people are in serious condition. The injured are being treated in Sion Hospital, Rajawadi Hospital and other private hospitals," Lande told reporters.