Four killed, 9 hurt as reversing BEST bus crashes into pedestrians in Mumbai's Bhandup

Mumbai: Four people, including three women, died and nine others were injured after a reversing bus of Mumbai's civic-run transport undertaking BEST knocked down pedestrians on Monday night, a police official said.

According to the official, the incident took place at around 10pm at busy Station Road in suburban Bhandup (West) when the bus crashed into pedestrians while reversing.

He said four people, including three women, died, while nine others were injured in the accident.

The injured were admitted to a nearby hospital, said the police official.

The bus driver was detained and process was underway to register an FIR against him, he stated.

Even an hour after the tragedy, public relations department of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) did not confirm the accident.

BEST public relations officer Sucheta Utale or its general manager Sonia Sethi were not available for comment.

However, a senior civic official, who was not authorised to speak to the media, told PTI on condition of anonymity that the accident occurred when the bus was being reversed at end point of its route outside Bhandup (West) suburban railway station.

The wet leased midi bus involved in the accident was hired from Olectra Greentech. Under the wet lease model adopted by BEST, contactor or operator bears fuel, driver and maintenance cost of the bus, he explained.

As per primary information, the BEST undertaking's own driver was behind the wheel at the time of the crash, the official said.

Earlier this year, mini buses, which were being operated on crowded routes connecting Bhandup station in eastern suburbs to slum-dominated areas close to foothills of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, were withdrawn from BEST fleet.

Despite operational constraints like inadequate turning radius, BEST, facing shortage of buses, introduced Olectra-made midi buses on routes from Bhandup (West) station, the official said.

BEST operates a large fleet of buses, covering the city and its neighbouring urban areas.

Mumbai Congress president and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad sought an inquiry into the accident.

"This is extremely saddening. Faulty buses, untrained drivers and an administration unwilling to invest in and improve BEST are risking several lives on a daily basis. We demand a thorough inquiry into this incident," said Gaikwad.