Mumbai bus crash: Death toll rises to 6 in Kurla mishap, forensic team at accident site | Mumbai News

BEST bus that lost control eventually crashed into the gate of Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar in Kurla (West)

MUMBAI: Two more people died on Tuesday, raising the death toll in the crash of a BEST bus inside a housing colony in Kurla (West) to six.
On Monday evening, at approximately 9.30 pm, a BEST bus suddenly accelerated and collided with multiple vehicles, including five to six autorickshaws, several cars, and motorcycles on S G Barve Road in Kurla (W). The bus also struck about ten pedestrians before finally halting within a residential complex.
Four were declared dead in Kurla Bhabha Hospital (two of these were brought dead and two died after admission to the hospital), one in Kohinoor Hospital, and one in Habib Hospital.
Officials have confirmed 6 fatalities , while 43 are receiving treatment in hospital.

The toll could go up due to the gravity of the accident, said the police. The driver, Sanjay More (43), who claimed it was a brake malfunction, has been arrested.
Joint commissioner of police Satyanarayan Choudhary himself was present at Kurla police station to interrogate the driver. Police said the driver Sanjay More was taken to JJ Hospital for a medical test.

Some locals said the accident’s impact “resembled a terror attack”, causing widespread panic. A large crowd gathered, necessitating Quick Response Team (QRT) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) deployment to control the situation.
The cause of the accident is uncertain — whether it was due to mechanical failure or human error — said police sources. Cops have taken custody of the bus now and have called in RTO experts and BEST engineers to examine the vehicle. The vehicle involved was an electric AC wet lease bus operated by a driver appointed by a private contractor.

BEST sources said an inquiry is being conducted to ascertain if the accident was due to reckless and negligent driving.
There are prima facie reports that it occurred due to brake failure, but this was being verified by a technical expert, a BEST official from the traffic division said.
RTO head Ravi Gaikwad said a team of experts has inspected the bus and will cooperate with Mumbai police in ascertaining the cause— whether any technical failure, brake failure or negligence on part of the driver.
Witnesses said the BEST bus of route number 332, which operates between Kurla and Andheri railway station, was fully occupied.