Eight injured as BEST bus crashes into dumper in Mumbai’s Matunga

The impact of the collision was so high that a passenger was thrown out of the bus. The passenger was seriously injured and fell unconscious. Later all the injured people including the driver and the conductor were rushed to the Sion Hospital.

A speeding BEST bus crashed into a moving dumper at Matunga on Wednesday, leaving eight passengers including the driver of the bus seriously injured. The injured are undergoing treatment at Sion Hospital. The police are trying to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.

In the CCTV footage of the accident, it can be clearly seen that the BEST bus was travelling at high speed and its driver could not apply the brakes in time leading to a collision with the dumper that was slowly moving ahead. (SCREENGRAB.)

According to information shared by the BEST, bus number 648 of the Marol Bus Depot which was plying on route number 22, on Wednesday morning met with an accident near Khodadad Circle in Matunga while it was moving towards Vijay Vallabh Chowk from Marol Maroshi Bus Station.

In the CCTV footage of the accident, it can be clearly seen that the BEST bus was travelling at high speed and its driver could not apply the brakes in time leading to a collision with the dumper that was slowly moving ahead.

The police said that the bus rammed into the dumper’s rear left side. The impact of the collision was so high that a passenger was thrown out of the bus. The passenger was seriously injured and fell unconscious. Later all the injured people including the driver and the conductor were rushed to the Sion Hospital.

The bus driver has been identified as Rajendra Sudam Kale, 52 and the conductor has been identified as Kashiram Ragho Dhuri, 57. The other six injured passengers who are under treatment are Tahir Hussain, 52, Rupali Gaikwad, 36, Mohammed Sultan Ansari, 50, Mansoor Ali, 52 Shrawani Mhaske, 16 and Vaidhai Bamane, 17. Two injured passengers did not come to the hospital and went home.

The Matunga Police have registered a case against the driver of the bus. “We have registered a case under Section 279, 337 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code against the driver and recording of statements of witnesses is underway,” said Nitin Bobade, senior inspector of Matunga Police.

Only the driver of the bus could tell what exactly went wrong and why the bus could not be stopped in time, another police officer said.

“For now our priority is to pay attention to the injured passengers and the treatment of the staff. Inquiry and checking the health background of the driver will be done once they are all fine,” said Manoj Varade spokesperson for BEST.