Mumbai: BEST driver falls unconscious while driving bus; accident averted as conductor applies hand brake

The driver of a civic-run BEST bus fell unconscious at the wheel in Malad in the northern part of the metropolis and an accident was averted after the conductor managed to apply the hand brake and bring the vehicle with 35 passengers to a halt.

A Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking official said the incident took place Late Saturday night when the bus was in Pushpa Park area.

"The driver fell unconscious while the vehicle was moving. Conductor Lahanu Gopal Nagre immediately applied the hand brake and halted the bus. His alertness and quick handling of the situation averted an accident and ensured 35 passengers were not harmed," the official informed.

The condition of the driver is stable, he added.